A Devil's Redemption
by Sombereyes
Summary: Belldandy's wish goes unheard by her father, the ruler of the heavens. When Hild hears the wish, however, she takes matters into her own hands, and fate takes a nasty turn. It isn't the future they both desired, but can they find happiness even when their own future promises eventual solitude?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: As I've said before, I've wanted to explore more into the AMG universe, and while I'll focus on Belldandy and the other Norns more in depth, I also want to explore Keiichi, and his possible futures…namely if he were a god, or if he were a demon…there is also the possible future of Belldandy becoming human too…and I think Divinity's Prayer opened the catalyst to explore all three possibilities.

That being said, I will (eventually) explore all three, with Divinity's Prayer acting as the branching path, so to speak. As the name implies, this fiction takes place directly after Divinity's Prayer, so read that first, if you haven't. As the name implies, this looked into the life of what a demonic Keiichi might be like.

I don't own Ah, My Goddess! Oh, My Goddess! However you want to say it…

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Keiichi..." She breathed, leaning in to kiss him atop his forehead. "I'm sorry I'm not a mortal woman...but, in spite of that, I wish that you could be a god."

Belldandy's words echoed, and boomed like thunder when it reached the ears of the listener. It crashed like a wave, and everyone, in both Heaven and Hell heard the plea. Most goddesses expelled a random wish or two, so, it normally went ignored by the greater world in which they lived. It was easier that way. It was also unquestionably more dangerous to meddle in the affairs of the Norns, who were by nature a force never to defy.

Many were not brazen enough to try, knowing well, foul play to any of them would be grounds for instantaneous, and grueling punishment. The man who governed the heavens was a very stern god, and though he was forgiving towards his offspring, he was also very odd, and hard to understand. He was renowned for his peculiar ways, and his actions were so odd that even the mortals questioned him. Often he would snicker to himself when a mere mortal dared to question him, though, he would never admit it outwardly.

Still, it went without saying that most in heaven didn't know him well. They would assume he would favor Belldandy's wish, given just how strong the request was. They would assume he was a giving man, willing to do anything for a goddess that might have earned that right…oh, and had Belldandy ever, at least, that's what most of those in heaven had thought.

In making such an assumption based on mere conjecture, they would be poorly mistaken. Oh, the Almighty heard alright his daughter just fine, as it echoed though his head the loudest. However, he closed his eyes, and willed away the sound of his child's voice. No, he would not answer. This was a time that he would turn a blind eye, and a deaf ear. He would not bless, nor grant her wish.

There was one, however, who sat atop her throne contemplating the sound, and from just who the plea came from. _How very odd._ Hild, the ruler deep in the bowels of hell thought, perching her chin in the palm of her hand. _I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. She is his daughter, after all._ A goddess's fondest wish shouldn't have ever reached her ears, but it had, and so too had it spurred the queen of domination herself, to consider that fact. _Well, a contract is a contract._ She smirked, snapping her fingers. _It doesn't particularly matter, as long as she summons me._

…

It seemed like any normal morning. A bright sun, bickering at the table, and even the occasional offhanded explosion or two. There was a slight chill in the air due to the spring breeze, but Keiichi was the only one who seemed to notice, dressing a little warmer than he might otherwise. Even then, due to hailing from a cooler climate in his youth, he found the weather pleasant. He dragged himself out of bed, chipper and ready to start the day, and that's when the trouble started.

He'd heard the faint, but very distinct pop that a light bulb makes when it shatters. With only a momentary glance down the hall, he concluded it was nothing to worry about. Going about his morning as usual, he only went to the common area once he was sure he found himself presentable to the females in the house. While it was true that Urd and Skuld had seen him in less, and it was no question that Belldandy wouldn't mind him loafing about in his underwear, he had always felt uncomfortable with the notion of greeting the day without at least a pair of jeans and a cleanly shaven face. Thankfully, he didn't grow much hair in the first place.

"Great…" He groused, looking at the destruction of his yard for the first time that morning. "Who set the yard on fire!" He yelled up at the sky.

"Guilty!" Urd shouted back. "We'll fix it later."

He shook his head, plopping down on the wood floor. At least it was fixable, he knew. "Aw man, how do they have all that energy." The door opened behind him, and he looked up to see Belldandy looking down at him.

"Oh! You're awake." Armed with a tray of breakfast, Belldandy met the mortal with a smile. "I hope you slept well."

"Oh, I did. I could have slept in a little bit longer though, but I need some more time to study." He nodded, scratching the back of his head a bit nervously when he noticed that Belldandy was only in nighttime robes. "What about you?"

"I'm afraid not." Even as she said this, she seemed not at all bothered by the thought. "They've been at it since last night you see, and even though they started well above the atmosphere, somehow they migrated back down here." She gestured to her personal room, or lack of it…and the kitchen, or what was left of it. "They've been playing a little rough."

Now that Keiichi looked a little closer, he could see that Belldandy had in fact been hit with a magical spell in her sleep, caught unaware. "A little?" The house, and yard around them spoke otherwise, at least in his mind. "I'm surprised you haven't rendered them to a crisp yet…"

"Why would I do that?" Her smile was filled with humor, as if Belldandy had in fact terrorized her sisters as soon as she had been rudely awakened. He gave her a look, and she met it with protest. "They could have hurt you." She replied with a blush coloring her face deeply. "I put the room back together, but even so, I wanted them to understand the severity of the situation."

"Belldandy…" He muttered, knowing he must have slept through it. The only way that could have happened, is if she put a spell on him. He looked around, and then back at her. "They didn't see anything, did they?" He asked.

Belldandy shook her head. "They know better that to peep. Besides, they were too busy trying to fly away." Her smile remained in place, the picture of innocence. "They truly don't mean any harm, I promise." As she said this, another bolt sent the nearby wall crashing into a pile of rubble.

As they enjoyed breakfast, they watched the two above them. The eldest and youngest of the household slung their barbs with blunted, sisterly force. Though, if that were the only thing happening, life would have continued on without question. After all, blowing up a kitchen was a daily occurrence, the sisters ran amok often enough. Belldandy merely smiled, watching her siblings at play. That's all it really was, destructive though it seemed. Earth was not yet equipped to deal with divine magic, so each scar in the earth would need to be healed later…but that was inconsequential to the sisters high in the sky.

Even to Belldandy, it mattered not. To and fro, Urd and Skuld would glide through the air, casting their powers at one another.

"I hat it when they do that." Keiichi sighed as he stuffed some food into his mouth to avoid gawking at the now ruined place he called home. He knew it would be fixed eventually, but even that didn't keep him from sighing. "One day, someone's going to catch wind of this, and they aren't going to like it." One of Urd's bolts hit the street. "Provided they could even come up with an explanation." He amended dryly.

He was quite used to the sounds of Skuld shouting across the yard, and even found Urd's cackling to be little more than an annoyance, one easily ignored…Still, even he lamented at the sight of homework that had been torn to tiny pieces. It was his last year in the university, after all, and he had to make it a good one. "On that note, what should I tell my professor about that?" He nodded to his homework, which was a pile of ash.

"Here, let me fix that for you." Belldandy easily put the notebook back together with a snap of her fingers. "There, good as new." She beamed a smile at him.

"Thanks Belldandy." He said truly thankful, stuffing it into his backpack to try to protect it. It was at that moment another stream of magic came their way, and Belldandy quickly deflected it. He watched as Belldandy slapped at the little orb of magic, obliterating it without a second thought. It was as if she'd batted at a fly, instead of Urd's powerful spell. "They really need to watch where they're throwing those things." He said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Urd, be careful." Belldandy called out. In her usual fashion, she warned them not to get overzealous. In truth, she was merely amused with their antics, though, she would be fibbing if she didn't admit some concern. "Keiichi still hasn't gone to school, and I would appreciate it if he could leave unscathed."

"You got it." The eldest Norn shouted, sending another charge flying, forcing Skuld to move away from above the ruins of the shrine where the young goddess had taken refuge.

At that, Belldandy turned to the frazzled man, smiling at him. "Skuld needs to learn how to control her magic, even if all she can really do right now is deflect oncoming attacks. Fighting with Urd gives her those important skills." Though, she wasn't exactly fond of the puddle that was flowing all over the house due to a broken water pipe, she allowed the ruckus to be what it was. "If she would go back to heaven, she would be fighting with other children her own age...just as Urd and I used to do."

"You used to fight with Urd?" Somehow, that didn't seem to fit, and he merely awaited an answer. "No way..."

"Well, we did fight, though I can't say it was instigated." Her words were delivered with a far away gaze, and she sipped on some tea to recall the long ago past. "In my youth, I fought often with my classmates. It was the given instruction of our tutors. Goddesses of any license and category should learn some measure of self-defense." At that, she merely frowned, her happiness dampening a little bit in regards to the youngest sibling. "Skuld doesn't have anyone to teach her that sort of thing. Urd may not seem like it, but she cares a lot about Skuld's welfare...even if it seems like they're just ripping into each other with explosives, there's more going on than that."

"If you say so." The man replied lamely. A day of classes would have kept Keiichi busy for any length of time. Today however, was not one of those days. Even so, he still chose to go to the community library, at Urd's behest. "I'm going to head out, but I'll be back later, okay?" He didn't know why the eldest Norn wanted him out of the house, but, he simply assumed it had to do with this training of Skuld's. "Make sure they don't kill each other."

"You shouldn't worry, Keiichi." She told him with a smile. "I promise you, they won't hurt each other. I'll even have the house put together before you arrive home, I promise." Obediently, Belldandy agreed, seeing him off. Keiichi got onto his bike after that, zooming away at a moderate speed, his mind on the studying that would greet him when he arrived, instead of the mess he had left behind. He had complete confidence in Belldandy, and that alone was enough for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She was a demon of immense power, so strong, she didn't need to think twice if she wanted to make a gaping hole in the earth. The same could be said for subtle appearances, she could do it without gale force winds, and storm clouds. In fact, she'd done strictly that, and had appeared without all of that bluster…the only indication that she had arrived at all, was the small dust cloud at her feet. That which was harmless, unless you happened to be an unsuspecting bug.

She took a moment to look around, and she found her pray, eying her with mild interest. As expected, the goddess in her sights didn't move, she was not inviting, nor menacing…merely watching onward, whilst snacking on what looked to be some sort of finger food. She ignored it, and the goddess, instead, meandering about the property. She slowly took in the sights, and like a viper awaiting a mouse, she cunningly took her time.

"Urd isn't here." Belldandy said, when the visitor finally reached the house.

"No, I don't suspect that she is." Hild said, taking hold of Belldandy's chin. She examined the goddess carefully. "You are just like him." She murmured, releasing Belldandy from her grip. "Too much like him for your own good, child." She crossed her arms, and looked around a bit more. "I don't suppose you have any indication of why that is…but, that really isn't anything I need to concern myself with." Hild smirked. "He won't favor you, or your wish, you know."

Belldandy looked frightened, but it was only for a moment before a mild shock fell over her features. " Oh, my...I didn't think my wish was quite so powerful. That it could reach your realm is a bit troubling." She closed her eyes, trying to glean insight on just how far her wish had traveled, but, she had no idea. "Forgive me, if it was any inconvenience."

"It isn't any trouble at all." Hild said, raising one hand, as if to push away the apology. "Tell me, Belldandy, what do you understand of your father?"

"I understand a vast many things about him." She said with an easy going smile. "And yet, like everyone else, I also know almost nothing about him. He is not a god with whom we should question, as he always chooses to govern with strictness, and fairness."

"Is that what you believe?" Hild watched as Belldandy nodded.

"There is no need to believe otherwise." Belldandy said, as was expected for a holy being from, heaven's own gates of gold. "To believe in him resolutely, is the best course of action. Even if we stray from his path, we goddesses take comfort in knowing he will find us. That he will guide us in leading a better future for creation."

"I pity you." Taking the time to sit down and regard the young goddess, Hild found herself a bit befuddled by her current pray. "He is a powerful man, capable of awesome things. As a god, he is astounding." Even one as powerful as herself, could agree with that much. "However, he is not any different from a demon, spiteful, and able to thwart that which he chooses to ignore." She shrugged. "In doing so, child, I fear he may also be ignorant to your needs." She looked Belldandy squarely in the eye. "I don't condone that."

"I'm afraid, I don't understand." Belldandy frowned deeply. "He is always fair, and his rules are justified. It isn't anyone's place to question his word. No matter how questionable it is. He never takes without offering something in return."

"Oh, but I would question that, if I were you, child." Hild warned her. "He takes, and offers equal returns you say? Is that not unlike how we demons run things?" Hild asked with a smirk, but, she quickly disregarded her own humor. "It matters to question things of that nature, because even though I am who I am, I'm not quite as devilish as he himself." She grew pensive at Belldandy's worried gaze. "Light can't exist without darkness, and that rule applies to all things, including your father."

"Even if he doesn't bless my wish, how is that any concern of yours?" Belldandy asked. "I am a goddess, and you are a demon."

"As I've told you, I don't approve." Hild replied pointedly. "He is your father and that alone is enough."

"It isn't so simple, even I know that." Belldandy said, defending the man. "I may not know his reasons, but I know he has them. As his child, I should accept it as simply that. Having faith in another, means to trust what they do…to continue to do so, even when it is unbearably hard to do."

Hild remained quiet as she let that sink in, and then, she sighed at great length. "We are rulers, Belldandy. We should not bend, nor should we break, because he and I have very important jobs. We must maintain balance, we must upkeep order. Failing to do so would mean our greatest demise." Sometimes, Hild hated even herself, due to that simple truth. "However, there is always a clause to every rule…and for me, Urd is that clause. I will bend for her, break for her, because I am her mother."

Belldandy nodded, thinking back to the accident that had happened not too long ago. "You never forced her to complete the contract."

"She said it…" Hild said then distantly. "In her heart, I know that she did someplace." It was a far away smile, but it made even the most fearsome demon seem almost friendly. "It's in her nature, even if she denies it…that's a luxury she has, being a goddess, second class." Even so, that wasn't Hild's concern.

"I still do not understand why you've come to greet me." Belldandy told her.

"I could do for you what your father won't. I could turn Keiichi into a demon, without a second thought." Hild looked over, wondering what sort of face she would see in response to this. What she saw, gave her hope that her words were taking refuge in Belldandy's heart.

"H-he would not make a fitting demon." Belldandy hesitated. "He is not that type of man."

"Oh, he would be just fine." Hild replied then. "Like Urd in many ways. He would lack the need for cruelty, but, he is a mortal man capable of devilish things. I could give him all of the power in the world."

"Why?" Belldandy murmured. "Why even go through something like that…why would you even want to?!"

"Spite…" Hild hissed. "it would anger your father, terribly so, and I want him to know how sorely I disapprove." Hild was grinning from ear to ear, just thinking of how much it change, how many things it would alter. "I want him seething at me. I want Heaven in an uproar because of his actions…because he chose to cast a blind eye." She wanted to force his great hand...to make him regret his power as a ruler of heaven.

Belldandy shook her head. "He is not blind. He knows well of my desire."

"He ignorantly dared to avoid his child, his blood…he ignored your plea." Hild murmured, bitterness seeping into the air around her. "I shall not take kindly to that." Hild's voice darkened, just a tiny bit. "Once he does that to you, he will do it to Urd…and no one, not even him, has the right to deny his progeny. I would wage war if he even tried, and I want that message known, clear as day. I will stop at nothing to do so."

"The arguments between my father and yourself do not concern me." Belldandy replied. "I should not involve myself in such a dispute, as it would cause our already fractured family great pains to do so." She gave Hild an earnest, but sad smile. "My mother has tried so hard to keep us happy, to forget troubled times. She has even tried to be there for Urd, when you could not." Being the Goddess that she was, she reached out to the demonic woman, cupping one of Hild's hands into both of her own. "Please, try to understand.

"I do, Belldandy, better than you'd expect." Hild took a breath to calm herself. She didn't intend to set the house into flames, purely because she was mildly annoyed. Still, Hild continued. "I can do what your father can't. I can accept a being who questions me…I can welcome that being as my own kin…dishonesty is part of being a demon, and Keiichi is at least half evil, despite his greatest wish not to be...he doesn't have to worship me, nor be devout…and in that, Belldandy, I would be bound by my contract…I would not go back on my word."

"Yet, I would not cater to a demon." Belldandy murmured. "Not without Keiichi's desire to do so, and I know he would not."

…

_I must be a terrible goddess._ Belldandy sighed, as she sat near the small pond in the back of the house. She ran her fingertips across the top of the water, marveling at the ripples she made. Holybell was looking over her mistress's shoulder, but she didn't give her master a reply. Instead, the golden haired angel merely continued to float from her place, still perched at Belldandy's back. _You'd think I would know better than to be swayed by a demon, especially Hild._ She felt Holybell pull away from her, and she looked up at the part of her soul that began to stand on the water in a fully metalized form. _What would Urd think, if I were to tell her that her mother actually came because of me?_

Belldandy's angel frowned. _You can't blame yourself, Hild's powerful. She should be able to hear your wish, just because of who she is._ Holybell animatedly replied before walking across the water slowly in circles. _If you fear repercussions, I don't think Urd is the one you have to fear them from._ Even though her blond hair was perfect, as always, she still twirled her fingers in it, contemplating that which so troubled her master. _You are your own worst enemy…I can feel it growing stronger by the day, the melancholy grows in your heart, and it poisons me._

Belldandy nodded. _If I don't do something, I know I won't be able to contain my power…_ With a sigh, she shook her head. _I love him, utterly so._ _You do, too._ Belldandy knew that to onlookers, there was a mute woman standing on the water…something impossible by nature. Even so, she also took solace in her angle's impulsiveness, and didn't scold her. _However, asking Keiichi to become a demon won't solve anything._

_You'll break a rule, if you lie._ Holybell told her sternly. _Even to me, or rather, especially to me. _The angel jumped up into the sky, floating above the clouds, knowing her master could still hear her, if she so wished it. _You can't hide from me, so why do you try, now of all times?_

_What else am I to do?_ Belldandy shot back, saddened, and angry at herself…embittered for even finding any thread of truth deep within a demon's words. _A first class goddess can't possibly take what a demon says to heart…and yet, I've committed that sin…in that way, I've even let Urd down…what can that solve? _Belldandy couldn't accept that, and she could feel her chest hurt as Holybell nearly crashed into the ground below. _Holybell!_

It was already too late to catch her, and with a splash, she hit the shallow pond. Dripping wet, and with unearthly glowing eyes. A depth so dark, it was all consuming like a vortex. _Goddesses and demons are not unlike one another, and you used to be okay with that. You could accept that balance, and in turn, all of creation, including the demons._ Holybell said, putting her face in her hands. _Yet, now you push away the one hope you think you have, denying yourself, and thus denying me. _Her angel was frightening in appearance, and Belldandy had only seen such a white light from an angel's eyes once before. _Do not emulate Urd, and do not cast me aside._ Holybell begged of her master. _You are not like her, and you'd never find me again._

_I admit, being lost in one's own heart is a frightening thing._ Belldandy said, reaching out to touch her angel. _But, Holybell, as much as it pains me to desire, to wish to go against my father in such a way…to even question my abilities as a goddess, I would never cast you away. _Normally she felt warmth from her angel, but all she could feel was a temperature so cold, it nearly burned…like icy heat. _Even if I became so lost, so tainted by darkness, that I myself fell to Hild's reign, I would never take a demon's egg, because you are so much of me._

Holybell softened at her master's touch, one so gentle that it cradled her cheek, forcing her to gaze upon the one she served. The glow began to fade, and the serene blue eyes returned, tears spilling from them. _I am sorry, my master. _

Belldandy didn't cry, but her soul wept. _It is alright, Holybell._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm about 10 chapters into my writing, and due to some of the content in later chapters, darker themes being what they are, this may see a rating increase to M. It's nothing graphic, per say, but, I will be deeply exploring some of the nature that angels and devils have, and may increase it due to that.

**Chapter 3**

A mortal man could live his entire life in the blink of a goddess's eye. He would rapidly age, and meet his demise in a hundred or so years…that was the inevitable fate of any human. It was a fast life, where decisions and opportunities could slip away. The mortals made up for their short, often painful experiences, by turning to a strong social structure. They required others, a basic need to interaction on every level became the catalyst for their entire being. Time was of the essence, and even seconds were precious.

It wasn't something most goddesses had to contend with, but, sooner or later it was bound to happen. Such precedents were already in the records, protected by archives that would contain very deranged tales of years gone by. Myths of what might happen, painted a nightmare fuel unlike any other. Grieving for the loss of mortal lovers, immortal beings were often scripted to have endured solitude, and madness, eventually finding their own horrifying end.

Belldandy was not daft by any means. However, she was all too willing to put such stories aside, never questioning the truths it would bring. They were simply tales for young children, and they were not uncommon. All of creation seemed to like to spin morbid realities into cute nursery rhymes. Fables were merely folk stories to warn against evil. Bound by taboo, and scorned by fate, those were not things adult goddesses, mortals, or even demons, took to heart.

Perhaps, that was Belldandy's own undoing.

The warnings had been clear, even as a child, the fables chanted never to fall in love with a mortal…but even so, she dared to become her own written passage in the tales as old as time itself. After all, a goddess who fell in love with a mortal would have to eventually part with him. She knew that, surely, but such a fact had conveniently slipped into the back of her mind, until Keiichi's graduation day.

Belldandy hadn't noticed the man before her was not entirely the man she'd first signed the contract with…and he was not the young boy from her memory, either.

"Urd, what do you think you're doing?" He was a man set in his goals, and a full time job awaited him on the other side of his diploma. It didn't occur to anyone that there also might be a slew of trouble. "And for that matter, why are all the lights out?"

"I don't know, but I'm trying to watch my favorite program." She scowled, as she fumbled with antenna.

Keiichi pulled off his tool belt, sand jacket and sighed. It was his third day over overtime in a row, the sun had already set. With a yawn, he forced himself to give a grin. "Let me see." He said sleepily, as he leaned over to get a good look at the back. Everything was as it should be, but there was no power going to the television. "This is strange. Did we blow a fuse?" He finally asked before Belldandy came peaking around the corner.

"Please forgive me." Belldandy bowed. "I think we may have broken something."

"We?" Keiichi rubbed his dusty hands on his knees before looking to Belldandy in confusion. He was so exhausted, all of the goddesses could tell.

"I was trying to help Skuld to work on her ability to put up barriers." Belldandy began, moving to the side to show off her youngest sibling, and the magic around her. "I think she may have just absorbed the greater area around her instead."

"Ah…come again?" Keiichi said calmly, looking at the bubble encasing Skuld.

It was the eldest Norn who took pity on him first. "Putting the matter simply, a lot of demons use electric magic, and this barrier attracts electricity and then nullifies it." Urd explained, inspecting the level of the spell. It was strong, stronger than the youngest goddess could control. "Can't get out again, Skuld?"

"No…" Skuld shouted, though her voice came through muffled. "I've tried everything. I can't make it dispel."

"Have you tried to pepper the barrier with a low level ground spell?" Urd asked Belldandy, knowing sometimes, it helped.

"Yes." The first class goddess replied. "When I tried that, it was able to deflect it. I could try a water one but…" Belldandy looked away, a bit unhappy with that thought.

"If you hit Skuld with it, wouldn't that end up electrocuting her?" Keiichi continued, starting to understand the situation.

"Belldandy is too powerful." Urd agreed. "It's a risk we can't take. Belldandy, there's a vial in my room that'll get rid of the barrier, but I'm not qualified to actually chant the spell, you'll have to do it."

"Well, while you guys get Skuld sorted out, I'm going to get started on dinner." Keiichi replied, having nothing else better to do at that particular moment, he stood and stretched.

"It's been a long day." Belldandy interjected. "You should just go take a bath, and I'll cook shortly."

"It's alright." Keiichi insisted, moving his gear out of the way. "I should expect this of myself." Walking into the one room he didn't normally spend time in, he pulled out the bag of rice. "I can get a meal started every now and then, it's really no trouble, Belldandy."

It was that one defining moment that told her the truth.

"I-I see. Well then, I'll leave it to you." She said, ushering her sisters down the hall. _He never complained about my cooking before…then again, it wasn't exactly a complaint._ The pensive thought had no merit that she could latch onto, but even as she tended to Skuld, she wondered about him. _I'm probably just being sensitive…_ After all, she couldn't possibly answer every desire he had, and took comfort in being needed in the small ways she'd grown accustom to. _I shouldn't take it to heart._

She was always dutiful to him, both as his goddess, and as the woman who loved him. However, there were limitations to what he could be given…limitations that she, as a goddess couldn't possibly call into question. She had been permitted to stay by his side, allowed to bed him without recourse and punishment…but, she couldn't do the one thing she felt she had to do.

She couldn't bear his child.

…

"This isn't right." Belldandy sighed over a cup of warm tea on a chilly winter morning. "I don't understand it. Why me?" Belldandy asked, shaking her head in dismay. "Why can't I even be allowed that much?" She pondered if her father might answer her, but thought better of it. _Oh, Holybell, what should I do?_

_I don't know, Master._ Holybell answered. _But it would be lovely to have a young one around._

_Yes…it would be, wouldn't it?_ It brought a smile to Belldandy's face, wistful, and full of longing. _I don't think our prayers would be answered, no matter how much we beg to have our desires fulfilled._ That carried a frown to her face. _Keiichi wouldn't resent that, would he?_ She paused, sipping her drink. _If I tell him, do you think he would?_

_No, I do not, and would never think that._ Holybell replied heatedly. _He has never asked for you to carry his child. Such a thing would never cause a rift between you._

Belldandy nodded, sipping her tea again. _I suppose there is that, at least._ Though, she wasn't convinced. _Still, isn't it the will of man to reproduce? Isn't the fundamental desire of all that is creation…to make life anew?_

_One would assume so, yes. _Holybell reluctantly agreed, coming to the conclusion that it was a natural desire, especially for the human race. _Such beings thrive because of that desire. _It was their very foundation, without it, human life could not continue. _However, he is not a man that can be measured by simplistic means. He is anything but normal, having received heaven's grace._

Belldandy let that sink in. She knew Holybell was right, but it didn't give her any comfort. _It isn't as if we are trying to conceive, and he makes no mention of the idea, even as time goes on_. Five years for a mortal man carried him into his late twenties…a man with a career, and yet, no child. At thirty, his eyes had changed from the confused, worried lad, to a person with strong conviction, and yet, still no child in which to speak of. _However, Holybell, I desire his eternity. I want him to live on in the souls of others._

He didn't request it, as if, he somehow knew.

He was kind, and soft spoken. Gentle, and wise. He was stronger in his ways, and his ideals, never berating her. He always claimed he was fortunate, lucky to have a woman such as Belldandy by his side…and, even though he had changed so much, he was still Keiichi…still the man she loved.

However, what was enough for a mortal man, was often not nearly enough for a goddess. _He's growing older, Holybell, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. We're losing valuable time. _It had only been a week since his thirtieth birthday had befallen him, a week since she realized it for the first time. Her efforts to conceive were in vain, futile, and impossible. _He's an uncle, and in the prime of his life. Yet, that will not always be so. What happens when he is unable to be here, and I have nothing left of him but a memory?_

Holybell didn't reply. There was nothing she could say to that, because the angel herself didn't have the slightest clue.

_I should have tried to better understand the laws that were in place. _The goddess said to her angel, who over the short years on earth had been poisoned by Belldandy's doubt of herself. _I wanted to be with him, is that such sin?_ She asked to the creature before her. _If I had truly understood…if I had known what it would mean…_

Holybell was withering away. She was not the beautiful angel she used to be. Her eyes glowed, a hot demonic white. Her hair was no longer golden, but instead a muted tan that seemed to be continually fading. Even her skin was no longer that timeless, breathtaking ivory. Instead it was dull, pale and lifeless…cold to the touch…a cold that burned.

_Scars only heal if we let them, Belldandy._ Holybell said softly, trying to soothe her master. At least her often unheard voice had not changed. _You can't shoulder the entirety of blame, because you live here, in a place where doubt shadows over everything. Earth is a very fortunate place, even with all of the sadness it brings._ She smiled, hauntingly beautiful. _We are one, and thus, we do not regret that, despite my form now._

"Destruction is a catalyst for creation." Hild had kept a close eye though the years, without Urd knowing. Even though it seemed as if Hild was bored, the truth was, this was official. Her job dictated she watch over balance carefully, and, this was a gross stray to the negative in holy shares. While some demons found that fortuitous, Hild knew the truth. "Yet, if you destroy yourself, you will ruin creation as we know it."

She had to restore order…and now, through a bit of time, she understood better the whims of heaven. Keiichi was a gift best utilized by the dark hand of creation. A gift tossed aside by Heaven to continue to promote order. Balance could be restored, but, it was a horrible thing to do. She gave Belldandy a pill, pressing it into Belldandy's palm. Then, she pulled a blackened egg from bosom. "Take what you covet, child."

"I do not want him to become a demon." Belldandy told Hild, for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"You are a Norn, Belldandy." Hild told her gently. "If you are so unwilling to see beyond what you do not understand, you are indeed a darker messiah than even myself." Not often one to be so kind to a goddess, she would make the rare exception. "Urd is the eldest Norn, tasked with governing creation's past…she is good and evil, light and dark…the very pull of creation itself." She put an arm around Belldandy's shoulder. "Skuld is the future, tasked with protecting that which is unseen and unknown. Skuld can see a bright hope when no one else can…and she would risk her life for that light, even when you cannot."

She turned to Belldandy then, her many eons of wisdom spilling forth. "You are the present. Tasked with acceptance for what has happened, and what will happen. You are the goddess who maintains the tree, and, you are the goddess responsible for seeing creation through to another era." She pulled away and began to play with some magic between her fingertips, idly amusing herself. "This is a fate that must come, because the heir to my throne refuses her place…and your father and I are not eternal."

"My father would never choose such a thing. For Keiichi of all people, to become a demon, would imply that my father preordained this." Belldandy said. "He wouldn't advise it, and he isn't that cruel."

"Oh but he is, Belldandy." The magic she used was a memory magic, and it replayed old scenes as if they were a movie. "He is cruel, more than you will ever understand, because he is fair…because his laws are indeed justified." In an orb of unholy light, a child smiled happily up at her mother. She knew nothing of her journey, or that she would be left behind, alone in the gates of heaven. "I would never forsake Urd, no matter what the price may be." The world around her was lush and beautiful, but even the sight of simple creatures frolicking frightened her…this was not the world she knew of. "Yet, Belldandy he will forsake you, to save creation."

The last image was Urd being left alone to fend for herself. Hild hated the gate, and creations laws, but she had to follow them. Because the two could not meet, nor share words, Urd had to wait for her father alone in heaven. Hild would never forgive the gate for that. "Heaven and Hell are a balance, because of who the rulers are. It is preordained, that the two rulers share a close bond."

"That sounds as if it is a farce." Belldandy couldn't believe it. She refused to. "You lie, Hild."

"I speak the truth!" Hild commanded, a dark surge of power overtaking her for merely a moment. "The doublet system is not without fault! I agreed to it, because it was one of Tyr's damned stipulations. It was the only way your father would allow Urd into heaven, and reluctantly, I agreed. For her sake." Hild replied. "However, let it be known that killing can still happen. In the minds of extremists, it is entirely possible to over look those losses for the sake of a cause."

Belldandy murmured. "We grew up together, and, she's still a goddess."

"I can accept her choice, Belldandy." Hild told her.

"Yet, you still require an heir for balance…not just anyone, but one incapable of killing others, despite the doublet." Belldandy sighed, she didn't want to believe it. "Is that it? Do you really want us to emulate the two of you?" It was disgusting to think about. "He could never be like you."

"If you do not turn him into a demon, you will poison creation." Hild said pointedly. "Your sisters would not be able to save you from your inner darkness, and you would have to be purged, and eliminated." Her words were so harsh, like a dull blade tearing through the air in a slow, agonizing way. "If that were to happen anytime soon, Keiichi would live out his life as a different man, far worse than any demon." That was only the short term…Hild dreaded the long term. "A few hundred years after that Urd would likely become a demon herself, because she would have lost the one person to accept her the most. Little Skuld would not be the same, and the dreams that she sees in you would be destroyed." She crossed her legs, and folded her hands atop her knee. "There is no happiness in that path, not for anyone."

"I see." Belldandy sighed.

He was always fair. Belldandy believed that, but, Hild was right. Fairness didn't exactly grant a person's deepest desires. Often, fairness seemed like a harsh mistress, a slap to the face, and a lost cause. If giving one man to the devils, promised a bright future for everyone else, of course her father would do it. What Belldandy would gain in return for that, well…that was something a bit more personal.

She knew, if Keiichi swallowed the devil's egg, he would have a reflection of himself…a mirror into his soul. She knew, because she'd already decided. She could love him, despite that. They could be compatible, because as Hild had so implied, there was more to creation and the rules than were suspected…and though some were iron clad, others were far more difficult to discern.

There was one thing, though…Hild was still alive, as was Belldandy's father. "How long, Hild?" Belldandy asked. "How long would Keiichi and I be permitted to be together?"

"That I do not know." Hild said softly. "However, your father is my light, and I am his dark. Our rein is the same."

"He's your doublet." Belldandy murmured. "How do you know that?"

"In case you've somehow forgotten, I'm the ruler of demonkind. The spell can be utilized by a first class demon. What kind of queen would I be, if I couldn't do at least that much?" Hild said as stood from her place. "In response to your question…any time at all that you gain with him is time well spent. This is worth the price, if you believe in nothing else, believe in that."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The air was tense in the home that night as Belldandy spun the unholy tale. They'd gathered at the table, though the tea had long grown cold. At great length, she explained the trials and difficulties her mind had faced, gazing apologetically to her family the entire time. In disbelief, they sat unmoving, gawking at her…because who would ever believe a first class goddess would listen to a demon's words and speak them as truth?

And yet, they all knew Belldandy could not tell a lie, she wouldn't…never to them. Never about Hild. Still, they couldn't believe, try though they might. The fragments wouldn't click together in their minds. It was then, when nothing else seemed to work, that Holybell emerged from her master to show off the reality that was before them.

"Gods in heaven!" Urd gasped, seeing the sight of Belldandy's angel for the first time. "How long have you been hiding this?" She reached out her hand, but fear gripped her heart, and she pulled her hand away.

"Long enough." Belldandy sighed, averting her eyes.

"Big sis…" Skuld couldn't find the words she wanted to say the most. "Holybell, you're suffering too, aren't you?" One glance at her sister's angel was all it took to make her want to back away lowly. She'd seen an angel with an illness before, but never something quite like this.

The angel tried to offer a smile, but it seemed to strike fear into the hearts of those around her. Even her wings were riddled with spots, impurities that a healthy angel would never have. Disheartened by the reaction of her peers, and ashamed to look her mistress in the eye, Holybell crossed her arms over her chest, and hid from the scrutiny.

"This isn't natural." Urd murmured, almost afraid to find out just what exactly might be going on. "You're sure Hild didn't put you under some kind of manipulation?" That was a shot in the dark, but at least it was an answer Urd could accept, if it had been true. "Have you eaten anything strange, or perhaps forgotten to purify yourself? Even one missed bath can weaken your powers, you know."

"Of all thing things I may forget to do, that would certainly not be one of them." Belldandy said with a blush. "Just as you have your pride towards being a goddess, I do too." No, she would never forget to do something like that. "On days I spoke with Hild, I made sure to not only purify myself in the usual manner, but I also spent several hours in the forest singing heavenly praise to rejuvenate the good fortune in the area."

Skuld looked between her two sisters. "So, if you've done that, it isn't a manipulative spell, and it probably isn't a bug or system error either." The youngest goddess was at a loss. "It could be a virus, couldn't it?" Skuld asked, though she wasn't sure of her own words. "What if Hild hacked into something she should have, and Belldandy's the victim of a viral outbreak."

"That's forbidden." Urd said carefully, she wouldn't put it beyond her mother, but she also expected that Hild, of all demons, would be smarter than that. "The crime is too heinous, at least I don't think she would." There was only one way to find out. "Elegance…" She ordered, her angle peeking out when called. "Find out what's going on with Holybell."

It was a sight Keiichi had seen before, but as odd as it was seeing goddesses kiss, it was even more mind boggling to see two angle doing it. He swallowed hard, unsure what they might find out. As wisps of magical code fluttered around, it was clear that Holybell wasn't feeling well, even wincing several times through the process, as if it pained her greatly. Belldandy continued to look troubled, but none of them made a move until World of Elegance finished searching.

When the two angels separated, World of Elegance turned to Urd. _The problem is decidedly spiritual in nature, I don't detect any viruses, and if it is coming from Yggdrasil, it's only due to a code set in place by the system administration. _She floated over to her master, sitting down beside Urd and Skuld. _I couldn't find any indication that there was an error code, or a corruption in her source file._

Urd nodded. _I didn't think you would…but I just had to be sure._

_I did sense something off-putting, but when I went to inspect it, Holybell resisted me. She refused to allow me to see that part of herself, as if she was blocking me. _World of Elegance said, rather indignantly at that. _Shall I dismiss myself, or dig deeper to find the root cause?_ The angle asked coolly after her task was over. _I could force my way in, if you really wanted to know what's going on._

"For your own safety, return to me, Elegance." Urd replied before explaining it to the others. "It isn't viral, and it isn't a data corruption either. This is Belldandy's own doing…in fact, Holybell is going so far as to block out my angel."

"It's a sensitive topic, Urd." Belldandy sighed, coming quickly to Holybell's defense. "What we're discussing is going to change fate as we know it. I'm not even sure I'm alright with this, and yet to even talk about it makes me so confused." Belldandy forced herself to take a breath and steady her voice. "What should I do? I'm a goddess, surely you of all people can understand my tribulation in the matter."

Oh, she could, she just didn't want to think about it. "So, my mother wants Keiichi to be a demon..." Urd knew better than most just what a raw hand they were being dealt, and after a bit of thought, she shook her head. "We shouldn't consider it."

"Does…" Keiichi gulped, feeling bile rise in his throat. "Does it hurt?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"In some ways." Belldandy admitted, though she tried to put on a brave face, for his sake. "It feels cold, Keiichi."

"That settles it." Keiichi was angry, but he wasn't sure at what. "Where's Hild?" Annoyance was just the tip of the iceberg, he didn't know what lurked underneath. "I want to talk to her, now." His eye cut to Urd, who shrugged unknowingly. "Find her then…" He said.

"Even if Urd did call Hild, what would you do?" Skuld asked him. "She's the queen of all demons for a reason. You've seen what she can do, her power isn't something you can stand up against."

"You two don't have to do this." Urd said, coming to her own conclusion on the matter. After having heard the story from Belldandy…having seen Holybell for herself, it was all too much to take. "The two of you shouldn't be held responsible for my refusal." She looked at the little black egg and shuttered, the idea that anyone might swallow it sickened her. "When the time comes, I will succeed Hild. That will make her happy."

Holybell, who was sitting behind her master, hugged her goddess tightly. _Keiichi doesn't have to do this. I have endured, and I will continue to do so…for his sake, it is all I can offer to prove my devotion, so if that's the way it has to be, I will endure._ She told her master, begging her to reconsider her current choice. _I will not be destroyed. I won't falter._

"No, you won't." Belldandy said aloud as she looked to her angel. "I will not allow you to be destroyed, Holybell." She held one of her angel's hands in her own. "We are one entity, to lose you, would mean to lose my very soul, and that can't happen." She swallowed hard looking to the others. "However, I can't possibly risk the chance of destroying creation." Belldandy sighed. "It's come to this."

"I'll go." Urd said again, hating the idea at her very core. "I'll do it, so that no one else has to worry."

"It has to be Keiichi." Belldandy murmured. "Just look at Holybell, she's fading away, Urd." Belldandy closed her eyes to hide her sadness. "Even if you did take your mother's place, his fate and mine likely wouldn't change. I would lose myself eventually, and so would the rest of you."

"Like hell." Urd hissed, her grip on her sake bottle so hard, it crumbled to dust in her grasp. "Holybell will not fade away, and you won't lose yourself." Urd shook her head. "This is all just because Hild is getting to you…you're letting that monster toy with your head. She's ruthless, Belldandy."

"Big sis, Urd is right." Skuld chirped from behind her bowl of ice cream. "You can't shoulder this all by yourself…besides, he's just a mortal." Skuld looked over to Keiichi. "If you swallow that pill, and then take a devil's egg into you, there's no telling what it could do." She shook her head. "And I've never built a machine to convert a demon back into a human."

"You wouldn't dare anyway." Urd told her youngest sibling. "Not after what happened last time you tried something like that."

"Well…maybe not with Keiichi as a test subject." Skuld admitted. "But, it would be interesting to try…" Stowing away the thought for a later time, she stuffed another scoop of ice cream into her mouth. "But, you know Urd, that makes me wonder something. What does creation gain by making Keiichi into a demon?"

"Good question." Urd agreed, drinking deeply from her sake bottle, forgoing her glass entirely. "Since the one causing trouble is Hild, who knows…but, it isn't anything good I'll bet."

_Master, please. _Holybell begged. _Don't give into a demon's whims._

"I've thought about that, at great length." Belldandy said slowly, as if not wanting the words to slip from beyond her lips. "The truth is, I've already begun to mourn him." She turned to Keiichi with a sad smile. "When I was in heaven, human life, while amazing to me, was short, and I thought it should be so." She turned to her sisters. "I didn't know that I would truly fall in love with mortal, whose very days would pass me by, while I remained stagnant and unchanging."

"Belldandy…this goes back to what you were saying before…" He said sadly. "She's lonely right, because I don't have an angel…she has nothing to connect to…no way to fully reach my soul." He felt sick just by saying it. "All of this time, you told me not to worry, but, just look at what that's done."

"A goddess's strength comes from love." She said to him, nodding softly. "To have a strong love that lasts through time, angels need their voices heard too…but, you can't understand her, and she can't reach you."

"There isn't any avoiding this." Keiichi finally said after giving it some thought. He scratched the side of his face, where his patchy five-o-clock shadow was beginning to grow in. "I've been blessed, and now, I'm being asked to return the favor I've been given."

"Don't be stupid." Urd looked upon Belldandy's angel. She was so different, so unlike the Holybell Urd remembered. "Even if you became a demon, that doesn't guarantee that you can suddenly make everything all better. It doesn't promise that you could even respond to Belldandy's spiritual needs."

"Maybe not, but…" He looked down to the pill on the table. "Hild is right, Belldandy." He told the women beside him, nodding his head so that they couldn't see his eyes. He was sure, if they did, they would see something he couldn't yet admit to himself. "I could live forever knowing that you're okay, I'd be fine with that…but, if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do. Probably something horrible."

"Who's to say it would happen in your lifetime?" Belldandy assured him. "Chances are good that it wouldn't."

"Who's to say it won't?" Keiichi told her. "I feared this day would come…when I would be told that you'd be taken away from me." He looked her evenly in the eyes. "You're a goddess Belldandy, you were meant for heaven, and I took that away…and I would do it again in a heartbeat." He picked up the pill, held it in his palm. "If that makes me selfish, so be it. I don't care. Hild's right, it's worth this…if I can buy some time, why not?"

"Keiichi, do you really think Hild will hold up her end of the bargain?" Urd didn't dare believe it.

"Hild has nothing to lose by leaving me and Belldandy alone for a while. Besides, you all know when I'm going to die and go to heaven, but, I don't know that answer." The tablet seemed more and more like redemption each passing second. "Mortal people forget that they're mortal…they put it in the back of their minds, because our lives don't last very long."

"That's the way it should be." Urd agreed.

"I can't do that, because I have all of you with me." Keiichi told her, pointing to the ceiling above him. "I'm reminded every day, that there is an end someplace. Even if I can't see it, I'm just a normal guy at the end of the day." He didn't like thinking about it, but he knew the truth. "I'm going to die, one day."

"Yes, that is the plight of mankind. However, you'll go to a place that you shouldn't worry about." Belldandy promised him. "A place where you will one day belong. Trust me when I say that you have nothing to fear when it comes to what will happen afterward."

"I can't take comfort in that, Belldandy. I can't just let things happen like this, knowing you're going to suffer." He told her. "If I can extend unknown answers in my life, and become a demon, is that so bad?" He looked to Belldandy. "If I can offer you some measure of solace, why wouldn't I do that?"

"Because it's insane!" Skuld yelled at him.

He looked down at his hands, waiting for something, but nothing happened. No one would just give him the perfect answer. "I'll live up to my own expectations, and, the expectations of your father." Keiichi told Belldandy. "How can I be worthy of you, if I don't?" Keiichi told them all before swallowing the pill without water. "That's my job as a man…and it's the man I want to be, it doesn't matter if I'm a demon or not."

"Idiot!" Skuld shouted smacking him in the back of the head. "Why'd you go and do that for?"

"We're going to be separated anyway." Keiichi told them. "If it's when I die, or thousands of years from now…it doesn't matter…one day, it will happen. If that's the case, I will prolong my time with Belldandy as long as I can."

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Skuld raised her hand again, but it collided into a force field.

"Skuld…that's unbecoming." Belldandy stopped her sister before she could begin another attack.

"Not unwarranted though." The eldest said. "That was completely stupid!" Urd said, her hand was able to break through the barrier easily, thwacking Keiichi herself.

"Girls!" This time Belldandy became cross. "This is no time to turn on one another." Still, she agreed with her siblings, diving in head first like that was dangerous. "Despite their violence, they're right. Keiichi, you should be more careful."

"I'm tired of being careful." He reached for the egg, but Urd stopped him.

"You are out of your ever loving mind." Urd said, snatching the egg from him. "This is a devil's egg." She ranted. "You do not, under any circumstance, swallow a devil's egg like it's a piece of candy. Stop taking this so lightly."

"I have no intention of doing this halfheartedly." Keiichi folded his arms, and closing his eyes. "Even right now, I feel different from before. I know that this isn't a game." He opened his eyes. "Give me the devil's egg, Urd."

"You can't support him." Urd said quietly.

"She's right, Keiichi." Belldandy nodded in agreement. "Powers take time to grow, sometimes, thousands of years. Plus, he won't be like an angel…he'll latch onto a more vindictive side of yourself, and he may even act out if you aren't careful." He could feel him slowly start to change.

"If I act fast, I can purge his system of the pill." Urd explained to Belldandy, building an array on the table. "Help me get him into place." Belldandy didn't move. "Skuld, go get some holy water, and the dove's tears I keep on the third shelf in my room." When the youngest sister didn't budge, Urd bit down on her lower lip. "Damn it." She said, her voice quaking. "You're just going to let him do this?"

"Urd, please try to understand." Belldandy asked her sister, so quietly, her words could hardly be heard.

Still the eldest Norn struggled with the truth. "Keiichi, you don't really want to be a demon! Think of what they are...what they've done to us in the past. Do you really want to be like that?"

"I took the pill, didn't I?" Keiichi said then.

Urd sighed, and put the chain that held the egg around Keiichi's neck. "He can still hear you in the egg, and if you protect him well and talk to him a lot, he may not be so evil when he hatches." She wasn't happy about it, but as she put her palm to his chest, she could already feel the demonic power flowing into him. "Keep him near to your heart Keiichi." She got up and left as if she'd been defeated by some unknown force.

Belldandy was barely suppressing her tears. "You're so foolish." She told him as she wrapped her arms around him. "Why do you insist on doing such dangerous things?"

"I love you." He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her as she cried into his shoulder. "That's why." He paused, when he felt something he'd never felt before. A soft, warm glow that came from her chest. When he closed his eyes, he could see the shining dull light, though he had no idea what it was, until he'd heard it for the first time.

"He will be like you." The voice said to him.

He could tell then from the voice, just who it was. "Hello, Holybell." He whispered in awe. He could finally hear her, and through Belldandy, he could feel Holybell's pain. "I'm sorry you've had to wait so long."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The rating changes in this chapter, to M. Here's why:**

*Religious themes come into play, loosely, but they are there. These themes, among many others, such as what I plan with the doublet system, and the angles and devils themselves, are what I feel earn this series an M rating as time goes on, because we will reach a dark point, eventually.

A/N#2: Sorry about the debacle regarding a repost of chapter three...I'm having internet conectivity issues, and I clicked the wrong file due to that. Please excuse the inconvenience.

** Chapter 5**

When he'd first kissed her tears away, he'd felt as if he'd somehow made the perfect choice. The moment, in his mind had been prefect, and idealistically, he didn't think of what might happen in the aftermath. Everything had consequences, and he knew one day, they would probably be a payment far worse than he could fathom. Keiichi would accept that, it was a price he knew he'd pay one day.

If he were just a little younger, a little more naive, he was sure he wouldn't have actually swallowed that cursed pill. Yet fate had fallen upon him as a light of hope, even if the very light would be that of a fire, ready to burn him at whim.

Being a demon wasn't easy, and although Keiichi assumed he would have to subject himself to quite a few new things, he didn't expect that he would be thrust into his new life so quickly. He knew goddess had several things they had to do, in order to maintain a heavenly body. However, he didn't assume those selfsame goddesses would be the ones to walk him through the new rituals of a demon. Perhaps it was just as well, he didn't really want anyone else around anyway.

"Are you sure about this?" Keiichi asked, looking at the odd sight before him. Clad in only a towel, he found it quite disturbing to find Urd sitting alongside Belldandy in his own bedroom. His hair was wet from having just gotten out of the bath, something he'd been instructed to do.

"We have no choice." Urd told him, her voice thickening in displeasure. "I don't want to be in here anymore than you want me to be." The supplies she had before her were not things that most goddesses troubled themselves with, but, Urd had gone shopping recently. Someone had to deal with the new demon in the house. She was the only one who knew the rituals that demons would unquestionably abide by. "It can't be helped."

"Demons are unholy creatures by nature." Belldandy told him. "So, they take part in what our father calls the seven deadly sins." With a glance to her sister, and the materials before her, she found herself a bit overwhelmed. "Since I'm a goddess, I do my best to purge myself of those seven things, however, demons subject themselves to them."

Keiichi gave it some thought. "The ones found in scriptures?"

"Yes and no." Belldandy laughed a little, perching her chin in between her thumb and first finger. "That's the thing about mortals, they're uncanny." She said carefully, offering the man before her a smile as she digressed. "You see, our father made them astoundingly aware of the greater creation round them. They're so correct, and yet, so terribly wrong. However, regardless of personal beliefs, which we rely on for heavenly and unholy shares, there are only two absolute things." She bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, I can't explain it well. The system is quite complicated."

With a long suffering sigh, Urd shook her head. "What she means Keiichi, is that there is only good fortune, and misfortune." Urd told him easily, the idea of unity came simply to her, as both forces existed as one in her very own soul. "The system force governs that by assuming that there is no right, and there is no wrong. It's up to creation, to determine for themselves what is good and bad. We as goddesses, and you as a demon, will live up to that expectation...in doing so, you'll generate unholy shares, which in turn, are the source of your power."

Urd began to light the candles that were strewn about the room. "Belldandy, being a goddess, can't even touch what I'm about to give you. It would do damage for her to try." After the room was set aglow, she returned to her seat next to her sister. "However, due to my bloodline, I don't suffer from the same aversive effects." She placed a tray in front of them, filled with vials. "These are the essences of those seven vices, and they make a demon's nature exactly what it is." She uncorked one of the glasses before her.

"Do I drink it?" He asked, almost afraid to touch what he knew was not sitting on the inside of those little bottles.

"I'd hope not all at once…" Urd said uncapping the one nearest to her. She took the dropper from her tool kit, and plucked exactly one droplet of the dark colored substance. "Every night you'll light candles and measure out exactly one drop from each vial. Depositing them into this dish." She said, continuing to do as she explained. "After you bathe every night, you'll drink this mixture before you get dressed, baptizing yourself in the vices that make you who you are."

He took the dish that was given to him, and swallowed the potion as he was instructed. "Now what?"

"Blow out all of the candles, and then you're done." Urd shrugged. "If you don't your ritual every night, you'll stunt your growth as a demon, if you don't do it often enough, you'll eventually cease to exist." She took the time to secure the vials well away from Belldandy, in a small cupboard she'd gotten for Keiichi specifically for such a reason, but she didn't dally around.

"Well, alright then." He did as he was told, going around the room, blowing out the seven candles Urd had mounted on each of the walls. "You goddesses take something similar, right?" He wondered, holding the long towel around him as Urd left the couple, now that her job was done.

"Yes, we do." Belldandy told him, as she went to his dresser to get him some pajamas, knowing he would make a beeline for them anyway when he was done. "Gods and goddess are told to take the cures of mankind, while demons take what ails mankind."

"The cures of mankind?" While Keiichi knew well of the seven deadly sins, as they were something strewn about the mortal realm almost all the time, he knew little of what could possibly cure it. "You mean the good fortune?"

"Humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality, and diligence." Belldandy said, ticking them off on her fingers. "Those are the cures for pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, and sloth respectively. After goddess drink their potion, they say a prayer." When the final candles were blown out, she went over to the overhead light, switching it on while Keiichi dressed. "The reason you blow out sacramental candles, is that it signifies the absence of light, or your darkness as a demon." She told him as she unfolded the bedding for the night.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Pulling on his pajama bottoms, he gave her an odd look. He was used to seeing Belldandy reclining on his futon, in fact it was something that he found quite cute, especially when Belldandy found herself engrossed in a book, or her knitting. Tonight, however, seemed a bit different. "Bell, did you know you're molting?"

"What?" She gave a glance over her shoulder, her wings were protruding a bit and blue sparkles were falling from them. "Oh, that's Holybell." She smiled at him, and plucked a feather, with a gentle puff of breath it turned into tiny little sparkles. "She does that all the time to bless the area around her. It's one of those things angles do when mortals aren't looking."

"Right..." He said then, clicking off the over head light. For not the first time that day, he wondered just what he'd gotten himself into, but as she slid into bed, and into Belldandy's arms with a yawn, he realized that it didn't really matter at that moment, tomorrow would be another day.

…

As Urd and the other goddess expected, the pill changed very little about Keiichi, at first. A few months had passed, but, besides being able to understand and speak with angels, he had no other power of which to notice. Sometimes a spark of electricity would shoot out from his fingers, or fire would cling to him if he got too close, but that was normal for any creature attuning with the elements that controlled creation.

Still, he was very much a demon growing in power, of this, they knew well. Keiichi was more in tune with the tiny things in his life that he never noticed before, and it was a new experience for him every day.

He could feel the wind whisper to him now, and animals had voices, words he could understand. Items sometimes became less tangible, as if, for whatever reason, he simply couldn't touch them anymore. It only happened for a few moments at a time, but, it gave him a cause for concern. Other things changed too, such as his perception of the woman he loved.

So many things made sense to him now, including Belldandy's angel.

Holybell slipped out from her master, and greeted Keiichi slowly, reaching out to hug him. She closed her eyes, searching for the power within him. Though that power didn't yet have a voice, she clung onto him desperately, taking in the feeling the powers brought. A deep light was glowing from his soul…a dark energy, and as she held tightly to him, she also held tightly to it as well.

When the angel pulled away, he looked into her deep, beautiful blue eyes…the serenity had returned, and so too did the calm. Even Belldandy seemed happier, as if she too, had been basking in the unholy light building within his very soul. With a kiss on his cheek, she returned to her master, and took her perch.

That was another thing he pondered about, yet, he didn't say a word until that evening.

"Belldandy, when you named Holybell, did it ever worry you at all?" He asked, looking at the little black egg that rested on his chest.

With a soft smile, she considered that. "Well, not particularly."

"I didn't think so." He said, raising one arm behind his head to prop himself up a bit. "Doesn't it seem a little weird having someone else know every single detail about yourself?" He mused aloud. "Like, all of your memories, things you'd much rather forget…doesn't it feel odd to know at any moment, someone else knows?"

That was a very obscure question, but, Belldandy took it for what it was. "Quite frankly, as a goddess, I knew from a very young age that my angel would take part of my life in every single way." She offered him a tiny blush, at that. "Through all of the times in my life, including times like this, I knew she would be there." Part of her couldn't wait for Keiichi to hatch his counterpart within the next few hundred years, but she understood that he might have anxiety about it. "You shouldn't have anything to fear, but, if you are afraid…talk to Urd. She can help with that better than I can."

"I'm not afraid, just curious." He murmured then. "I wonder what type of things they experience, and how."

"Hmm." Belldandy hummed, as she snuggled deeper under the covers. "I can't say, I'm not an angel."

He shrugged a little, toying with a ticklish spot on Belldandy's back. "I never noticed it until recently, but every time I kiss you, I feel Holybell within you."

"Well, yes, you should. The more your power grows, the more you'll begin to understand her." She pushed some of her long fawn hair behind her ear. "You'll probably begin to feel her presence during other times too."

A bit shyly he looked away. "Tonight, I did…for a little while." When he met Belldandy's soft gaze again, he shook his head feeling silly. "Now though, I almost wonder where she is…it just feels a little empty, and I wondered why."

"It's about to rain. She's outside in the forest someplace right now, but I can see why you'd miss her." Belldandy said then, sitting up a bit as the blankets fell from around her form. "I don't know what it might be like for demons, but for a goddess like myself, I was acutely aware of it." She got up, padding over to the window to let the fresh air in. "When you were a mortal, I was very unsure about you. I was worried that you were simply giving into a mortal vice, whenever we made love." Even now, with her body bare before him, a shadow bathed in moonlight, he could see her returning to bed. "There was always a connection missing."

"How is she doing?" Keiichi asked genuinely concerned still.

"She's in higher spirits." Belldandy smiled when Keiichi covered her back up, and rolled onto his side to gaze at her. "Holybell began to get better when she was able to reach into your soul. Even if it doesn't yet have a voice, that power is something she can read, she can speak with you through it."

"That's good." He murmured. "Is that why I can hear her sometimes? Whenever you and I are close by, I sometimes hear a voice that's different from yours."

"Hm." Belldandy nodded. "As long as our physical forms are somehow touching, even if it's just by holding hands, you'll be able to hear what she has to say." Then she closed her eyes, humming a bit to herself, before continuing her line of thought. "However, because angels and devils are voices for our very souls, you'll only hear Holybell speak if she wants you to." With a bit of an off handed shrug she opened her eyes again. "Angels and devils are able to communicate and understand each other, without the physical forms of their masters actually touching. They have their own social structure too, just as you and I do."

"Isn't that kind of strange?" Keiichi asked then.

"Oh, not at all." Belldandy laughed. "Holybell and World of Elegance talk all the time. You'll learn quickly to tune it out when you hatch your devil."

"Um… isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Keiichi said then. "I don't really know if I'd want someone listening in on me all the time."

"If she really doesn't approve of me listening in, she'd just cut communication for a bit." Belldandy said, realizing all of this came natural to her, but for Keiichi, it didn't. "We choose not to, because we are so close…but there are some who like the idea of privacy. World of Elegance, for example, hardly leaves her communication open. Urd never hears what our angels gossip about."

"I'm afraid to ask." He said, rolling his eyes.

"It's all part of being a goddess. When you have your devil, it'll be easier to understand." She leaned up to kiss him. Her fingers threading through his short, messy tresses. She could feel callouses on his fingertips as they caressed her cheek and she could also bask in his comforting unholy light, emanating from within.

He might have been a demon, but, she melted into his embrace anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I love when you wiki/google/bing something and get two different answers, grr! Apparently, Nidheg, and Nidhogg are both proper names for the demonic super computer…I'm going to stay with Nidhogg for this story, since that's the name tied to Norse mythology's dragon…and thus if I'm using the wrong name, just overlook it, as I'm sticking with Norse principle on this one.

And chapter 5 is fixed, for those who didn't know.

* * *

Chapter 6

He'd once been told by Belldandy that she could read auras. Based on the color, she could determine how a person felt. It was an ability that all beings such as herself had. She also mentioned that such a skill consumed a great deal of power. She couldn't use it all the time because of strain. Keiichi never really tried to understand things beyond that, and he trusted that she wouldn't go snooping around in his thoughts.

Now he understood that the colors were very abstract, and not nearly explanatory as he first assumed.

At the age of fifty, if he were still a mortal, his hair would likely be thinning, and graying out. It wasn't. He didn't look a day over thirty, and due to that, he was often complimented by his family and friends. Instead of aging in the usual manner, he realized being a demon was much more fluent. When he woke up one morning, he could see the faint glow of colors around him, colors that were like lights, brilliant and beautiful…and yet entirely foreboding.

The morning sun rising in the sky, was not as captivating as usual. A dark cloud seemed to shadow overhead. It wasn't by any means sudden, but the looming truth made Keiichi ponder about how long he hadn't noticed it. It seemed so natural, and yet, impossible.

"Now, Skuld you know it isn't so bad." He heard Belldandy tell the youngest goddess as he entered the main living room. "If you don't train properly, you'll never be able to harness your gifts. You have so much light to give, Skuld."

"Big sis, I'm alright without all of that." Skuld had protested, despite the disappointment found in Belldandy's eyes. "I have my machines, and besides, I'm licensed in system administration. Even if I do get a commercial license, I don't think I'd be very good with all of this wish granting stuff." With a sigh, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Belldandy, but I'm renouncing my training under a commercial license, and I'm going back to heaven."

"Why the change of heart?" Urd asked, leaning heavily on the table, sipping some sake. "You used to want to do everything Belldandy did."

"That's the thing." Skuld nodded. "I used to want to…but when I first got my powers as a goddess, it was because I'd found love for the first time." She shrugged. "I thought I understood what that meant, but, then Sentaro started to grow up, and I had to distance myself from him." Her smile seemed filled with grief, until she could no longer do even that. "He still calls all the time, but he has a huge family now. I'm still just a kid, and I haven't changed. I can't even see him because of that."

"You've matured greatly, and in that way, you're nearly there." Urd said, trying to comfort Skuld the best she could. "Goddesses age in a different way. We have an everlasting, fluid life, that tests time itself."

"I can't stay here on earth." Skuld finally said wiping away at her eyes. "I can't keep waiting around for what isn't here anymore." With a breath and a deep sigh, she looked to Belldandy. "I'm going to go train under our parents."

"Creation's law offices!" Urd exclaimed, shocked to hear that. "Why with them?"

Skuld became quiet for a moment. She was still unsure herself, but she knew one thing. "The law offices are one of the few places that have open contact to the demon realm."

"Skuld, are you positive you want to work there?" It was a tentative question, fragile at best. "If I were you, I'd consider working in a different office, or returning to Yggdrasil." Belldandy said, unhappy to hear the news. "You know that those who work in the law offices have very little time for themselves, or their families."

"What are the law offices, anyway?" Keiichi asked. "Is it the same kind of thing as here on earth, handling disputes and other such matters?"

"No, Keiichi." Belldandy said with a shake of her head. "Our grandfather, Odin, came up with the idea to have an office purely to remedy inconsistencies. Creation's law offices are an independent, third party, responsible for maintaining creation as an entirety. They're not only diplomats, they're far more. They oversee many different organizations in creation, such as the several types of helplines, special combat divisions, and the inter-species trials. Without their work, we wouldn't be able to maintain and regulate creation the way we do."

"Our father, Tyr, is one of the spearheads of that particular office." Urd muttered dryly. "Both heaven and hell have dubbed the office neutral territory. To say that demons, gods, and goddesses work among each other intimately, would be a gross understatement."

"Urd!" Belldandy shook her head. "That's not very nice."

"Well, it's true." The eldest Norn shot back. "I can't say my conception was a surprise. We both know that more inter-species procreation happens because of that office, than any other." Urd shrugged. "Most if it is out of wedlock at that."

"That's only because that particular office has both the divine and unholy entities working within it." Belldandy said simply. "It's ambassadorial, it's normal to assume that sort of thing would happen."

"Say what you want, it doesn't change the truth." Urd still didn't want to think about it. She hated that law office. "Skuld, if I were you, I'd avoid that branch. Hild still shows up from time to time to oversee her employees, she's a constant thorn in everyone's side."

"She also has to consult with our mother on a regular basis. Hild doesn't have any choice. She's an inter-species trial officer." Belldandy replied offhandedly, turning to Keiichi. "There are many offices in heaven, and most of my family choose to hold administrative licenses. We have a pretty heavy hand in creation when you think about it." She looked over to her sisters, and then back to Keiichi. "I also know quite a bit about administrative activities, but I chose to function on a commercial license instead."

It was Skuld's sigh that brought them back to the matter at hand. "Creation's law is strictly that, the very law and moral foundation upon which all other systems function. Since it's one of the largest offices, it's easy to find work there." She loved machines and computers, and that was one of the requirements needed to have the job. "Systems admins are elected to do high priority work that includes programming both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg. Since I'm good with machines, I think I'll be challenged more working there, rather than just staying a basic admin of Yggdrasil."

"I see." Belldandy said slowly with a nod. "Well, if that's what you want to do, Skuld, I won't stop you from attaining your goals."

"It is." Skuld said then looking over to Keiichi. "If you hurt big sis while I'm gone, I'm going to personally send Lind on assignment to come after you, so you better not do anything stupid, you hear."

"She can't actually do that, can she?" Keiichi asked, a bit concerned by the look of fire he was being given.

"Well, Lind does work under a special division license." Urd said with a smirk. "It's within jurisdiction, I suppose."

"I was afraid of that." He gulped.

…

Skuld left for heaven later that day, and Belldandy insisted to follower her to make sure all of the transfer paperwork was done correctly. Urd suspected that was only one reason, but she didn't comment as her sisters passed into their respective travel mediums. Instead, she took the time to relax, looking over some documents that had arrived for her earlier that day.

Even though Urd was on earth, she still had a job to do, and she had to do it right. Absentmindedly, she flipped through the code that had been sent, a bunch of heavenly lettering that would look like gibberish to anyone else. After she got bored, she set it aside. Meandering to the kitchen, she was thankful to find Keiichi hovering over the stove, and she took the time to grab a bottle of sake and sit down.

"She'll probably be gone for a few weeks, you know." Urd said in passing, getting comfortable.

"Belldandy can take as long as she needs." Keiichi said. "I promised her as a mortal, I'd wait for her no matter what." He tossed some chicken stock into the pot and turned the burner a little hotter. "That won't ever change."

"Haven't you bitten off more than you can chew?" Urd said then. "I mean, I understand that you wanted to help Belldandy, but what happens when Hild comes to get you for training?" Urd asked him. "Have you ever thought that time might come sooner, rather than later?"

"I know it will." Keiichi said. He left the cooking pot alone, and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "She probably knows how clueless I am to all of this stuff…so there's a good chance I'll get dragged away for training, but can live with that."

"I suppose that's just as well." Urd said with a soft smile. "You always were hopeless to a degree." She looked down at the clear liquid in her glass, and considered just what Keiichi's future would imply. "You know, while I can't say I'm altogether fond of you being with a demon, I'm happy you're looking after Belldandy as much as you are." Urd looked at him, and the devil's egg that sat around his neck. "You really are a demon now, aren't you, Keiichi?" She knew he was, but looking at him, it was hard to tell. Even so, there was something about him, and it made her realize that he was indeed changing.

"Does it really matter if I am or not?" He asked her. The question lingered in the air as he grabbed the trash to take it outside.

She didn't have an answer for him, nor could she seem to grasp one for herself. Instead of trying to figure it out, Urd nipped at her lower lip. She contemplated the greater question that Keiichi hadn't asked. _Why?_ She thought, a bit angry at herself. _Why should it matter?_ It wasn't so easy to let go of, and as she grabbed at her drink, she left to go run a bath, feeling the dire need to purify herself in a way she had never quite felt before.

...

_Give me one good reason…just one good one, and I promise I'll return to my perch._ The chattering deity said as she took the time to gussy herself up. For what, Urd hadn't the slightest idea, but her nerves were wearing thin.

_You don't have to go into my soul._ Urd finally relented. _But, at least go do something. You're in my space._

_Oh don't worry, master, I am._ World of Elegance said, wagging a nail file in amusement. _I'm going to be perfectly sure to keep busy, don't you worry._

_Uh-huh… _Urd gave a bored sigh, rolling her eyes as her angle tittered about happily. _What has you so flighty today?_

_Oh, just this and that._ World of elegance shrugged, fawning over her hair next. _I was talking to Holybell the other day, and wouldn't you know it, she's obsessed about that new demon we've got parading around._

_That's not a new demon, that's Keiichi._ The retort fell on deaf ears, and Urd sighed. _It's not like his power's changed him…at least not yet._

_Say what you want, but Holybell has gotten smitten with him. _World of Elegance nattered on. _That won't do…I won't accept being ignored from the only eligible man that's to pass by._ At the disapproving look Urd gave her, Elegance tossed up her hands. _What's wrong? _

_You know perfectly well what's wrong. _Urd warned her angel.

The words fell of deaf ears. He's_ a demon, it's perfectly natural for him to want to look around and sample his women._

_At the risk of sounding like a bitch, I sometimes wonder if I should have swallowed you at all. _Urd wasn't about to get into all of the ways her angel could find trouble, and instead, went back to what she had been doing before, gazing at a blank television.

That was the trouble with angels, they acted much more impulsively than their masters. They also, much to Urd's dismay, had an obligation to support their master whenever the need seemed to arise. There were many times goddesses required support. Mentally, physically, spiritually, and even when attuning to high level magical spells. A goddess required her angel, and, it was an irritating fact that the angel also required similar support from her goddess.

Urd was often solitary, and so her angle was the same. They were often independent of each other, but every now and then, Urd would find herself with a less than satisfactory angel who only served to provoke her ire. It was naturally due to Urd's half demon blood, but even so, Urd found herself on the verge of a massive headache.

_You've been watching the blank screen for the past hour._ Her angel's voice lilted, a seductive sigh slipping from her lips. _You're losing your touch, Urd._

_Quiet you._ Urd told her angel, popping another corn puff into her mouth. _I'm not in the mood._

_No, but you are rather moody, aren't you?_ The half angel, half devil replied. She slipped he arms around her master's neck, smiling as she toyed with the shell of her master's ear. _What is it Urd, can't take the heat?_

_Elegance! _Urd scolded, pushing the trouble making deity off of her. _What is it with you? _

_I would raise the same question, but it seems pointless. Don't you think?_ She ran her fingertips along Urd's jewelry, something that always seemed to captivate her. _We both know what troubles you…how long you've waited to find someone who might accept you. _She taunted her master, behind a smile that was far too playful for her own good. _ You know, Urd…he's a demon now, and demons males are very capable of attaining more than one woman. _Like a vixen, she arched her back a bit, enjoying the idea of a male demon so nearby. _He's demon who doesn't seem judgmental of what we are…he's perfect!_

Urd sighed. _Stop causing trouble. _She knew…she was well aware of the demon male, and his growing power was quite the feeling to behold, every time he passed by unaware, his demonic aura it sent a shiver down her spine. _Go back into my soul, where you belong._

_Can't I play with him?_ World of Elegance asked. _Please, just for a little while?_

_No! _Urd shuttered at that. _No you may not…_ She knew exactly what nefarious activities her reflection would get into, if left to her own devices. The very idea made Urd worry. _He may be a demon, but Keiichi is still off limits, now more than ever. I'm not going to deal with a pissed off Belldandy, just because you've given Keiichi a heart attack or something._

_It's been so long since I've felt such power. I wonder if he's as strong as he flaunts himself to be._ The deity mused, a catlike grin on her face.

_Do you really want to provoke Holybell?_ Urd questioned, truly surprised that her angle would even want to try something like that. _She's not going to like it. If you go around playing with Belldandy's boyfriend, chances are, she'll start lobbing high level wind magic at you…and I doubt Belldandy would try to stop her._

World of Elegance frowned. _Duly noted._ Deflated, and no longer considering her plan a good idea, she found herself clinging to Urd again. _Good mates are so hard to find. So many gods are judgmental, and most demons are always after power._

Urd never liked to talk about it, but although her angel was a beautiful creature, and half angel…she was also very much half a devil. She closed her eyes when her angel toyed with her, knowing that it was her devilish side feeling just a little frisky, but she bit her lower lip trying to suppress the basic urge to berate her servant for doing so.

_How long has it been, Urd?_ World of Elegance asked, coaxing her master to answer her. _We could use a good man, and he's strong…he appeals to me, master. Please, let me answer his power with one of my own._

_Damn it, Elegance! I said no!_ Now thoroughly angry, Urd scowled She didn't want to be reminded of how alone she was whenever night greeted her. _You keep your wandering hands and devilish whim to yourself. _

_Urd, I don't mean to stray…_ The angel finally admitted sadly. _I'm only trying to do what's best for us…_

_I know._ Urd swallowed hard. _Keiichi is a good man, but you aren't going to jeopardize his relationship will Belldandy. You're my angel, not my devil. You're meant to be considerate of others, especially of Belldandy and Holybell._ The two-toned angel had the decency to look admonished and repentant, but Urd knew better. _Devils are so troublesome…even half breeds._

_Speaking of that, what will you do when he has a devil for himself?_ World of elegance at least had the decency to look apologetic when Urd glared at her, but her question still remained. _You-know-who will likely come up to visit._

_I don't know, Elegance. I'll probably try to avoid her as much as possible. Keiichi's a demon, so I can't keep her from visiting him._ Urd would simply play it by ear, acting in the only way she could. _This is why I hate demons, they always find a way to torture me._

_You don't hate Keiichi._ World of elegance said, knowing the opposite was true. Urd respected him greatly.

_No, but Keiichi has always been a special case in one way or another._ Urd relented with a shrug. _He always has been, and probably always will be. That's why you're not to stirr up any trouble. It's hard enough for them as it is, without your meddling.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This is a very sisterly chapter. There's a tiny bit of Keiichi, but mostly, it's about the two eldest Norns.

* * *

**Chapter 7  
**

Belldandy had returned to earth on her own, without Skuld at her side. It had only been a few hours for her, but for Keiichi and Urd, it had been weeks. Belldandy had done her best to look happy, and content with Skuld's choice. However upon returning to earth, she could finally sigh at the empty room her sister used to have. The house would be quiet now. No explosions, no yelling…no one to teach or coddle. No one that feared growing up.

"You aren't taking this as easily as I hoped you would." Urd said, consoling her lamenting sister. "Does it really bother you so much? Now that Skuld's out of your hair, you have time to do more things." She led Belldandy away from the empty room, and into the living area. Urd wasn't very good at making tea and cakes, but, she could certainly conjure them up with a spell or two, and did just that.

"Don't make it sound as if she was a burden." Belldandy said, remorse in her eyes. "Skuld meant well in everything she did."

"Skuld is over an eon old." Urd replied gently, cutting the simple white cake with a knife. "She's old enough to take care of herself." With the cake cut, and the tea poured, she couldn't help but watch as Belldandy sighed at the sweet confection. "I left the nest long before that."

"You were also very unruly." Belldandy said with a bit of a smile before it faded. "You didn't want parents looking after you." She sipped on some warm tea, and then looked over to Urd. "Skuld and I were different. We desired that attention and guidance. Mother worked so much, that I only had my tutors, or you, to look after me." She told Urd with a gratitude that couldn't be quantified. "Even after I'd lost so much in my youth, you were there to raise me when no one could."

Urd smiled at that. "It wasn't like I had much of a choice."

"You did. You chose to do things you didn't have to do." Belldandy said. "Thank you, Urd."

"Skuld will be okay." Urd continued, feeling a little guilty. "I understand that you feel responsible for her well being, but she isn't the child she used to be." Urd wondered if Belldandy would truly be aright without anyone to hover over. "Have you ever resented Anzasu for not having the time to raise you herself…without help?"

"I couldn't." Belldandy said with a shake of her head. "Mother has always done her best to ensure the best possible life for all of us." She warmed her hands on her mug, deep in thought. "However, that also means she must work hard." Belldandy knew that Urd harbored some resentment, but, she was also the oldest of the three of them, with a past she wasn't willing to let go of. "That's why as soon as Skuld was off the breast, I insisted that our parents should let me take some responsibility."

"Do you really still feel responsible now?" Urd sighed.

"Why, yes, of course I do" Belldandy told her older sister. "I'm sure it wasn't easy juggling my tutors, a small child, and their jobs…I wanted to help as much as I could." Then with a gentle smile, she put her hands over Urd's own. "Most of all, I wanted to be able to do for her, what you and my tutors did for me."

Urd laughed at that. "I told you to wait until Skuld was older."

"I didn't think she would attach to me so much." Belldandy said, her sadness returning, a distant gaze on her face. "That was probably the one time I didn't take your advice when I should have."

"No, it was probably better that you didn't." Urd said slowly in retrospect. "Skuld's always been a late bloomer…everything she does is delayed, but if you give her enough time to decide something, she'll normally do it on her own. That's just the way Skuld is." Urd took a drink of her spiced tea at that, pondering how many migraines her sister had given her. "She's nothing, if not as hot tempered as Anzasu is when she's fired up. I think being around you so much helped to even that out a bit."

"Mother can be a bit confrontational, can't she?" Belldandy agreed, and yet, she didn't find that to be too big of an issue. "When she has her heart set on something, there's no stopping her."

"It must be a family trait." Urd agreed. "You may not be as hot tempered as Anzasu, but you're just as driven and exuberant." Urd said she, resting her chin in the palm of one of her hands. "Father likes you because you're the golden child." Urd said. "The rest of the women in his family bite his head off, but you're always so loyal to him." That made Urd frown. "Speaking of loyalty, what are you going to do about that little detail down the line?"

Belldandy found the question alarming, and she was at a loss. "What can I do, Urd?" The middle Norn asked in reply.

Both goddesses perked up at the sound of the front door opening and closing. "Belldandy, I'm home."

It was amazing how such loneliness could ease away at the sound of Keiichi's voice. Urd watched as her sister greeted the man she loved, her earlier sorrow set aside for that moment. That calm, peaceful smile returned, and even if it went unspoken, Urd gave her sister a wink before she waved to Keiichi and left the room.

_Urd?_ The half demon, half angel asked.

_It's alright, Elegance._ The goddess replied as she leaned onto the wall, her eyes slipping closed. _I'm just tired of being alone, that's all._

...

In many kingdoms, females were normally the demure gender, and that was especially true for goddesses. While female demons often threw their power around in battles of dominance, goddesses normally didn't try.

It wasn't as if they couldn't, and there were a great many goddesses who were perfectly able to take on a god with a well-timed spell every now and then. The three Norns had witnessed their mother lose her temper on more than one occasion, and she was a force of fury never to be provoked. While some goddesses were quite liberal with their tongue, and had no qualms about tossing around magic at whim, most of them simply chose not to do so, as it went against their very nature.

Gods who chose a monogamous relationship were often very possessive, and as such, claimed passive goddesses who would never defy them as a result. Gods who chose to sleep around, tended to choose goddesses interested in doing the same. The heavens were generally a peaceful place, and as such, there wasn't much of a need for either side to get particularly cross with one another.

Demons were quite a bit different.

They didn't bow down to conformity, nor gender role. It wasn't uncommon to see females calling the shots in relationships, and in their work. A darker nature appealed to them, and as a race, demons were unapologetic in their offensive behavior. As such, they were also much more willing to engage in promiscuous activities, no matter who it was with, or the reason why.

This especially held true to male demons, who by nature, attracted suitors by the power they expelled from their bodies…a natural aphrodisiac. It didn't help that the stronger the demon, the more he craved the attention of others. If a female demon had any hope of keeping a male in his rightful place, she had to be powerful enough to do so…and a little bit of territorial aggression didn't hurt either…though it was just as well when demons weren't possessive of each other, as it often meant more for them in personal gain, and demonic exploitation.

Unfortunately for the household, Belldandy wasn't the type of goddess to blast her lover with a bolt of lightning, just for the sake of her own amusement.

"Would you please do something?" Urd finally snapped, she couldn't take it anymore. "He's driving me crazy." She could hear her angel all but purr when Keiichi passed by in the hall again. She was acutely aware of the fact that there was only one male demon in the greater japan area, and he was owning the very ground he stood on. "I wonder if he swallowed too much lust or gluttony last night…"

Belldandy looked up from her knitting. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked, quite confused. "I don't sense anything's amiss."

"Belldandy, think about it. Keiichi isn't mortal anymore." Urd growled from between clenched teeth when he passed by again. "His demonic power is driving me absolutely insane." To drown her libido, she gulped at her sake, and tossed up another barrier around herself. "If you don't do anything about it, I'm going to go cram a depth charge up his ass for you."

"Now why would you go and do that?" Belldandy closed her eyes, trying to detect what was going on. It took a moment before it dawned on her. "Oh, that!" Belldandy supplied, covering her mouth with her hand as a mild blush crept across her cheeks for not noticing sooner.

"You didn't notice?" Urd couldn't believe it, and rubbed the top of her forehead. "With all of the posturing he's doing, I thought you of all people would notice it."

"Of course I noticed, however, that is what he's supposed to do." Belldandy giggled with a nod. "Don't you take comfort in knowing there's a proper male around the house now?" She asked, as if that somehow made the situation all better.

It didn't.

"I'll tear him apart!" Urd hissed, curling up into a ball. "You're a full blooded, mild mannered goddess, of course you feel comforted by him." She hadn't felt such strong power in a long time…though, in her defense, she also hadn't had a partner in several hundred years either. "I'm not such a nice goddess, Belldandy. I'm far more vindictive…and if he doesn't cut that out, I'm going to let World of Elegance harass the hell out of him till kingdom come!"

"Alright, Urd. I'll take care of it." Belldandy sighed, she expected this to happen sooner or later, as it was the natural order for things…yet even so, she wasn't exactly sure how to talk to him about it. "I thought we might have more time before this happened. His power is unusually strong for his age."

"Just deal with it, promptly!" The eldest norm merely scowled, drowning her sorrows, and hoped the desire to take Keiichi for herself went away soon. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure she could keep World of Elegance at bay for much longer anyway.

The man in question was currently working on his newest blueprint for a car he wished to manufacture. It was one of his greatest joys, and since he was so at ease during such a time, it made sense that he was also expelling his power as a result. Just entering in the room, Belldandy felt his presence wash over her, and as the goddess first class that she was, she responded accordingly to the traditions.

She bowed to him, just as she would for any lover in the heavens. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but, may we talk?" She voiced worriedly, her eyes low to the ground, and her entire being submissive, waiting to be greeted.

"Yeah sure." He turned around, instantly he frowning when he saw her. "What's wrong?" He asked her, feeling the conflict that she had yet to voice.

"Nothing's wrong." She told him, only now raising her eyes to meet his gaze. "Did it appear as if something was?"

"Belldandy..." He sighed, unsure of how to get her to stop being so docile. Whenever he so much as looked at her, she seemed to start giving him more than ample attention. It was interesting at first, but now, it started to worry him. "You're doing it again, and you don't have to."

"I'm sorry Keiichi." She smiled, forgetting that he wasn't fond of being on the receiving end of continual praise, as most men might expect of their lovers. "It's just a conditioned response, I can't help it." She explained. "Goddesses tend to give reverence to all males within their household, unless they've been invited to do otherwise." Sitting down in front of him, she took his hand in hers. "Although, that is why I should probably warn you, your powers are growing stronger."

Keiichi nodded. "I gathered that." He pointed toward the wall where several holes had been made. "Want to tell me how I've pissed Urd off this time? She keeps trying to hit me with spells."

"Hmm…I think you're misunderstanding." Belldandy said slowly, trying to make sense of that. "Urd isn't exactly reacting negatively." She struggled at first, before just blurting it out, for a lack of anything better to do. "Demonic women tend to get a little...well, I guess you could say they get aggressive when they're interested in a suitor. She is half demon, so…" Belldandy trailed off, looking away.

"Belldandy..." He sighed, seeing the worry that she tried to hide from him. "Don't do that, please." He scratched the back of his head at a loss. Her eyes were pools of confusion, and something else. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but, the color around, exuded that of jealously. "I love you, Belldandy." He said then, looking back at the holes in the wall. "I don't love Urd...not romantically."

"I know, Keiichi." Belldandy replied, taking comfort in his, and what she knew was truth. "I understand that this is just a demon's nature, but, it's doing terrible things to Urd. She's quite unhappy to know that you're turning into a virile demon."

It took him a minuet to process those words, but once he did, his mouth went dry. "Wh-what!" Keiichi shouted dumbly, backing away about. "How could you guys know something like that!?" He found himself letting go of the book that he'd been holding, dropping it on his foot as a result.

"We're goddesses." Belldandy said with an understanding, gentle smile. "It's in our nature to know…just as it's in your nature to know particularities about us. You're probably not strong enough to really understand a goddess yet, but you'll get there in a few hundred years or so."

"Then what am I supposed to do about it?" He cringed, not entirely wanting to think about it.

"There's only one thing that we can do about it." Belldandy said resolutely, her eyes meeting his. "Forgive me, Keiichi, I've got to start taking more control over you." Never before had he felt such a strong wind come from her hands, aimed at him. It sent him tumbling over, onto the floor, his head knocking into the desk because of it. Dazed, he slowly drifted into sleep.

It pained her to see him so easily knocked out, but with a sigh, she knew it had to be done. She tucked him into bed, and kissed him, murmuring an apology one last time as she left him to rest. From the other room, Urd finally sighed a breath of relief. The power that was teasing her was gone, even if it was only temporary. "Thank goddess." She said, able to finally enjoy her afternoon without the buzzing in her head.

"Well, that was unpleasant." Belldandy thought aloud, coming back to do her knitting. "I trust that took care of whatever seemed to be troubling you?"

Urd nodded, but the two of then knew the truth. "You'd better get used to it…he's going to be a tough one when he gets older."

Belldandy paused, briefly considering Urd's words. "I wouldn't say that." Belldandy replied slowly. "Even if his dark powers are problematic, I trust him." She went back to the calming task, knitting the blanket she'd promised Skuld, when she looked up at her sister with a blush. "Keiichi would never betray me, in spite of his power."

"How can you be so sure?" Urd asked, truly concerned about that. "He's a demon at his core now. I know what kind of temptation that drips into his soul. It's not easy to get over that drive, it's worse than any addiction you can think of."

"I don't believe he's all that different than before. Even as a mortal, he had to search inside of himself to do the right things. He's always persevered, I can't imagine that would change." There was something else too, and it gave Belldandy immeasurable comfort. "A moment ago, he was a bit shy, skittish, and reserved." Belldandy smiled fondly in recollection of times that had slipped away far too quickly for her liking. "That alone tells me all that I need to know about Keiichi."

As if the wind whispered to Belldandy again, she nodded. "I know because of his soul, Keiichi will be a faithful lover, even if he is a demon."

…

It was so very seldom that the angels would receive visits from their friends, so because of that, since their time on earth, Holybell and World of Elegance, who were already naturally close as siblings, were so much more now. For so long, they hadn't had anyone else to speak with. Unlike their masters, who'd made many friends on earth, Holybell and World of Elegance had to stay out of sight from the humans.

Because of that, there often times they'd wander off. The world around them was a beautiful, lush place, and even though, angles needed their master's blessing, Urd often relented, at Belldandy's behest. The two angels were released to play amongst themselves on moonlit evenings, when no one would look at them. Walking in the forest and taking in the sights, gave both of the angels reprieves and solace.

"She had the audacity to tell me that she shouldn't have swallowed me." World of Elegance said, explaining her most recent confrontation with her master. "I mean really, what was I supposed to say to that!"

"You know, Elegance, you shouldn't be so disagreeable to Urd." The blond angel said. Blessing withering flowers with angel dust to renew their life for a short time, she took the time to grow some grass in the patches of earth that had none. "Urd tries her very best."

"Well, she does do that." World of Elegance smiled, floating just over head, blessing the sleeping fauna. "I just wish she could be more accepting of herself." With an offhanded sigh, found a squirrel gazing at her, and picked him up, holding him in her hands. "Just because Urd has demon blood, doesn't mean she'll turn into a demon. Everything would alright if she accepts it…yet, she can't."

"I'm glad that she can show her true self to someone." Holybell said then with a smile. "She needs that little push every now and then, and I'm glad she gets it from you."

"I wish that I could be so thankful." World of Elegance said then with a frown, petting her new-found companion as it chattered contently. "I may be her angel, but I don't know how to get through to her. She just doesn't understand."

"You'll get there, all you need to do is have a little faith." For an angel such as Holybell, it didn't seem so difficult to do, but she knew that World of Elegance was a different creature by nature. "It would be easier on the both of you to just hash it a bit, bring out your true feelings."

"This coming from the angel that was loved from the very start." World of Elegance sighed, rolling her eyes. "Urd took one look at me, and she screamed in terror." The angel frowned, closing her eyes, and swallowing down the deepest wells of emotion. "She gazed at me with such innocent eyes, and I thought I'd finally found someplace to belong." Elegance shook her head. "All I seemed to do was frighten her as a child."

"Far be it from me to dictate how you guide your master, but, I often wonder if you're too considerate of her feelings." Holybell said, as she too, began to float just above the treetops. "The reason Belldandy and I get along so well, is because we can be open and honest about everything." She gave her sibling a sideways glance. "Urd hides from you, and you let her."

"Well, we do have to abide by their rules." Word of Elegance said bitterly. "Urd doesn't enjoy having me around, so like the good servant I should be, I keep myself out of sight and mind when I'm not needed."

"Well then, perhaps you shouldn't taunt her so much." Holybell laughed a little. "I understand that the demonic side of herself has no outlet except through you, but, try talking to Urd."

Finding a suitable branch, World of Elegance put down the squirrel. "Just what would I say to her, Holybell?" The angel asked, she covered the sleeping animal with a blanket of her own feathers. "I'm sure she's still terrified of me, of what my black wing signifies of her soul. I'm a nightmare in her eyes." With a sad look at the edge of her gaze, she found Holybell's accepting smile never seemed to change. "I won't apologize for who we are at our core. I don't mind that I'm half devil…and I even like that I am, because it's who she is."

"Urd isn't asking you to apologize for that." Holybell ran her fingers through the raven black hair, and darker than night feathers of her sister. "You are a beautiful angel, just as she is a beautiful goddess." She gave her sister a hug, and a gentle sigh. "It's only through hardship that people realize their true potential, and sad things happen for good reasons. You and I both know why she hates demons, and it has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me." World of Elegance sighed desperately. "With that side that she refuses to acknowledge."

Holybell nodded, pulling away from her sister as she continued down the pebble laden path. "Urd must learn to forgive the past, and Elegance, you must learn to forgive yourself." The blond angel looked up to the stars in the sky, marveling at their radiance. "It's time to let the wind kiss away the ashes of the past, don't you think?"

"That's something for Urd to decide." Elegance replied distantly. "I can't force her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

She wasn't sure if it was just busy work, or if it was actually important, but Skuld had left Yggdrasil in the hands of other, less experienced goddesses. Basic administration was a simple task, or so she thought. When she'd gotten the call from Lind, she began to question it. "What does special operations want with the system?" Skuld had asked, but Lind hadn't been very eager to say over the phone.

Reluctantly, Skuld patched Lind through to Tyr, who, as a god of creation's law offices, kept himself unseen to most citizens of the heavens and hells alike. His desk was an odd one, hidden in a shroud of his own power. He believed fully, that he was a god not to be seen, but rather, to be heard. He was literally a vocal authority and made it his own, personal endeavor, never to be judged by his appearance. Even his own children didn't often see him, because of his reclusive nature.

"There are codes. I require them." That was all the explanation that either of them had been given.

Lind was a strict goddess at times, so it wasn't a shock. After a lengthy discussion that didn't go anywhere, and a near migraine, Tyr invited Lind to come and meet with him personally, and Lind hadn't wasted any time. "Why have you come, Lind?" Tyr asked at great length, his voice echoing off the walls around him.

"Special operations received a notice to tighten security." Lind had replied with her twin angels fluttering about at her side. Unlike most goddesses, who kissed the very ground he stood upon, Lind truly respected this god. She knelt, as most would, but, beyond that she didn't offer praise. "Anzasu requested it. Practically demanded that we follow her orders."

"Why would my wife dabble in the affairs of security?" Tyr asked, dumbfounded.

"A whim." Lind replied, equally agitated. "With all due respect, I sometimes find that she acts without proper justification. However, this time, when she barged into the barracks, there was no question that her discomfiture could be warranted."

"Why Lind!" Tyr rumbled. "Why are you so adamant?"

"I was commissioned by Anzasu privately." Lind said then with a shake of her head. "My orders were simply to get information from Yggdrasil, and to issue a notice to Peorth." She offered another bow, as if it was his consolation prize at best, and her denial at worst. "Beyond that, any information I've received wasn't to be spoken to you." Lind glanced at Skuld. "I require quarantined files, and thus, I come here in search of someone with a license in first category."

Tyr cursed himself quietly for a moment, considering Lind's words. Something was amiss, but, he wasn't about to toy idly with his wife's orders. There was nothing he could do, he would have to accept the fact that he hadn't been welcomed to nose about in her affairs. "Skuld, go attain the records that Lind requires." Tyr finally relented, only to be given a questioning gaze by his child in return.

"Why?" The young goddess continued to type, even when her eyes left the screen. "Lind can go on her own, it wouldn't be the first time that special ops went barging in on the systems administration." She tossed a halfhearted shrug his way. "We quarantine bugs and other useless paradox files all the time. That's not something she needs authorization for."

"Ordinarily, it wouldn't be an issue." Tyr agreed. "However, we aren't discussing simple, first class information." If that had been the case, Lind would have acquired the needed data herself. "Lind must be accompanied by a representative of the law offices." He told her, sipping on some tea. "Go with Lind, and see that she gets everything she needs. That's your job for today, and I expect it done flawlessly."

Since those were his orders, Skuld didn't fight it any further, not even after she had reached the main facility that housed Yggdrasil with Lind at her side. "You heard her, Peorth, cough up whatever she needs."

"Oui." The first class goddess agreed. "However, I've no idea why you're looking into my organization. We haven't received any wishes that were out of the normality."

Lind remained as cool and calm as ever. "It is standard regulation. I'm only following protocol." Lind replied, taking the microchip she'd been handed. "According to the bylaws, we have to look into every detail of the Yggdrasil system at least once every thousand years." It was however, her next statement, that set off warning bells in Peorth's head. "This does of course, include privatized information."

"Oh, you're looking for that." Peorth chuckled. "I'm surprised that Tyr didn't come to retrieve it himself." Typing a few things into the computer, she began to download the necessary files. "Don't tell me, Tyr got sealed again, didn't he?"

"No, thankfully." Skuld said with a smile. "Last time my mom did that, he was stuck in a flowerpot for a really long time."

"I do recall." Peorth said with an exuberant nod. "It was mine after all. I was so happy when your mother released him, I could have kissed her." With a side thought that she nearly digressed, she pulled out the card full of data, handing it to Skuld. "In thinking about it, it's been rather quiet around here. I haven't heard your parents bellow for quite some time, is everything alright?"

"More or less." Skuld said slowly, knowing that answer could change at any moment. "I would say everything's normal."

Lind nodded her head to Skuld. "She's begun her training in creation's law offices, and I am acting as her escort for today, as she collects the needed information."

"Well, isn't that strange?" Peorth asked, putting a hand on her hip, mildly amused. "I would have thought you'd look into getting a commercial license, Skuld."

"I like machines too much." Skuld said with a smile. "By the way, please tell me the new recruits have been taking care of Yggdrasil. I've been worried about it."

"If you want to see for yourself, you're free to log in with my terminal." Peorth offered. "I think you'll be satisfied with the results."

"Can I?" Skuld asked, looking up at Lind.

"We have some time." Lind nodded gently. "I've been meaning to speak with Peorth about the security measures, anyway. If you'll permit me, I could take the time to discuss them with her right now."

Skuld looked around the admin terminals, most of the other goddesses were busy with programs. "I don't see why not. All of them are first class, first category." She went to the login screen, using her old but familiar password. "Just make sure you don't discuss anything beyond a first class restriction."

"I didn't intend too." Lind agreed, turning to Peorth in a hushed voice. "We've received an invoice from Hild. Bugs have entered Nidhogg's system. They were easily cleared away, of course, but there was some residual damage to a few files."

"Does she think we committed a hacking?" Peorth asked, just a little worried.

"No." Lind reported with a shake of her head. "She believes it's an outside source, at least that's the report. However, unholy shares seemed to skyrocket due to vaccine they used to purge Nidhogg."

"How high?" Peorth grew quiet, a heated whisper was all she would allow of herself, but she knew the gravity of the situation.

"High enough that Hild believes Yggdrasil will try to correct the imbalance." Lind handed over a confidential chip from behind her ear. "This is the vaccination her people used. Anzasu wants us to analyze it, but in the meantime, she wants you to shut down any program that could react violently."

"That includes the system force." Peorth didn't like the sound of it, but took the chip that Lind had given her. "I understand."

"I doubt that you do." Lind was troubled by the state of events, and with a sense of duty in mind, she found that she wasn't entirely able to accept things so blindly. "I admit, I'm skeptical. I don't think Hild would be on good terms with us. She certainly doesn't have any obligations to the heavens."

"I think she has a lot of responsibility." Skuld said, signing out from the system. "She isn't just trying to help us because she feels like it. It's because she's got an investment to protect."

"That's very astute." Lind replied, interested in what the young goddess might have to say. "However, that only leaves more questions. What would that investment be, and why?"

"I don't really know, it could be anything." Skuld said with a shrug as she drifted down from the terminal. "Hild seems to like to honor deals, and, she wouldn't take them lightly." Having gathered the information she needed, and given a proper farewell to one of her most loved machines, it was time to leave. "I think that Hild wouldn't want to get on Keiichi's bad side, since he's a demon now."

"That's true, but if that's the case, she owns him." Peorth sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I suppose it can't be helped."

"It's true that Keiichi is a demon, but he's friendly with goddesses." Lind shook her head. "You'd think that would really bother Hild."

"It's not something we need to worry about." Skuld finally said. "Everything's okay for now, right?" At their nods, she felt better prepared to return to the law offices. "Then all of this is just theory, and we don't need that." She looked up to Lind then. "If you have everything you need, then we should head back."

…

It sinister, Hild knew, but yet, she'd done it anyway. She'd hacked her own system, Nidhogg.

Hild had her reasons, but they were far more abstract and whimsical than many would understand. She would be the first to admit that her methods were uncouth, and often primal, but, they were effective. She was very much like Tyr, she didn't like to be questioned. Her motivations were her own, always, and she didn't feel the need to give out an explanation when it wasn't due. There were very few who dared to pluck that very thin line, a chord that perhaps, ought never to be strung.

Hild was a demon, true to her word, prideful of that very clout that she so often exuded. She had no qualms about standing up to high expectation, positive, or negative.

Cheshire, her grin remained like that of a cat, sly and predatory. She knew it drew attention, but, no one pondered the reason why. They'd had no need, no true purpose to raise a looking glass to Hild's actions. Most knew if they did, they wouldn't see the light of a new day for eons to come.

Still, there was one such person willing to spit a fire that knew no boundary. "That was cunning." Anzasu murmured in a wing of that law offices that didn't belong to her people. "Too cunning." It was Hild's personal space, but Anzasu didn't care that she was intruding. "Now, look at you."

With a smirk, Hild raised her glass. "If you're going to congratulate me, at least sit down and have a drink."

"You truly are insufferable." The goddess sighed, strutting out of the shadows with all of the confidence one would expect from a goddess of her stature. "What do you think you're going to gain, Hild?"

"It isn't about gain." Hild said easily, watching Anzasu take a seat before her.

"Why don't I believe that?" Anzasu sighed, crossing her long and slender legs in a seductive fashion quite like Hild's own.

"Oh, I've no need to lie. " Hild said offhandedly. "Rather, I find that this is about loss. I'm simply taking preventative measures, I'm sure you can understand." She poured the woman a drink, and offered her best smile, delighting in her abilities as a hostess.

"No doubt." Anzasu said cutting to the heart of the matter, her pleasantries aside. "It is our job, after all, to oversee such a thing."

"Must we go over such trivial matters, Anzasu?" Hild asked, amused. "I so rarely receive visitors that I care to call friends during my stays here at the offices. It would be nice to put these rather depressing topics behind us, wouldn't you agree?"

"Tell me, Hild, why would you put Nidhogg at risk?" It was no wonder why Tyr chose this goddess to be his wife, because while she was indeed heavenly, she was also as poisonous as a viper when provoked. "What has my husband done to coax your ire this time?"

"Still quick to lay that claim, I see." Hild scowled briefly.

"Why shouldn't I?" Anzasu said with a raised eyebrow. "It's the truth."

"Insufferable! How fortuitous for you, that you are a goddess, or else he would be mine." Hild shook her head with a sigh. "You have no idea, do you? You poor, poor, wench."

"You're the one who doesn't understand." Anzasu replied heatedly. "You are the one who doubted, Hild. It is you, who failed him…you who who've failed your own daughter…and now, you so easily trifle in the lives of my daughters. Belldandy and Skuld are not of your brood. I will not allow this to continue."

"Don't misunderstand my intentions, Anzasu." Hild stood from her place, taking the time to consider all that she'd done. Her plans were her own. She didn't expect goddess to understand. "I am protecting your daughters. What I do, I do only in the best interest of them." With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "It's in Urd's best interest that I protect Belldandy and Skuld as well." She glanced to the goddess who glared daggers into her.

"Why are you so interested in committing atrocities?" Anzasu hissed. "Why pervert the very foundation of creation itself?!"

"I'm a demon." Hild laughed darkly. "I don't need a reason."

"Yet you do have a reason." Anzasu replied, she'd heard enough to discern that much. "Likely, it's little more than lunacy, but you do have one!"

"I may not be the kindest woman in all of creation, but, I do love my family." Hild said then, not bothering to regard the goddess behind her with the sincerity in her eyes. She knew Anzasu could feel it lingering in the air around them. "I will stop at nothing to protect that family, even if that family is not of my blood nor my womb." Hild replied darkly, a vengeance swirling in her words. "I owe Urd that much. I owe that to you as well. Even I recognize when I must atone, even if I am acidic at my core."

"What's going on, Hild?" Anzasu murmured, she'd never heard something so candid and respectful from Hild in the entire time she'd known the vicious demon.

"I'm putting an end to that damnable system, once and for all." Hild said then. "I'm going to make this creation one that all of its peoples can take pride in, and I will also give Belldandy all of the happiness greed can afford her. I will do what Tyr will not! I will grant Belldandy all of the treasures she so deserves…and in return, she and Keiichi will help to change creation in a way that will unify its peoples."

"It is lunacy." Anzasu sighed. "Completely and utterly so."

"It may be." Hild could agree with that...she often wondered if her plans would truly see fruition...creation had nearly died out before for lesser causes. "Tell me that you don't desire Belldandy's happiness above all else. Tell me you desire a creation, where your children must fall under your hammer of judgement!" She turned to Anzasu then, her raw power sparking from her very soul. "Tell me that you haven't resented the laws that keep the heavens at hells at a low boil..."

Anzasu shook her head. "I can't lie, Hild." The woman said softly. "I do want my children to be happy. I do want them to build their own futures, whatever that may be. No matter who it may, or may not be with." She sighed, her desires were not unlike Hild's own. "I would like all of creation's peoples to be as unified as you say, but, I do not see how it can happen."

"We can do better, Anzasu." Hild's proclamation was like that of an echo, speaking volumes. "If our children could live on that earth among mortals...if Urd can accept Keiichi as a demon...if Belldandy can love him despite that, why the hell do we think we know better? They've managed it just bloody fine, nobody's blown each other to bits, why can't we seem to manage that?"

Anzasu rubbed her forehead in exasperation, because Hild made very strong points. There was no good rebuttal she could make to any of it. "I don't know."

"I'll tell you why." Hild said. "We're old, we're stagnating..."

"We're dying out." Anzasu whispered, finally catching on.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Creation was an forever changing thing. It wouldn't wait for anyone, not even the peoples who governed it. Gods and goddesses, demons and spirits…even the mortals shared one thing in common. They were all able to be replaced. In fact, replacement was necessary for continual growth. For immortal beings, it happened rarely. Heavenly and unholy bodies were immune to many tragedies. Something had to cause it, to provoke an untimely death, or merely phase them out, sealing them away.

Being so far removed from the vicious cycle, the idea of death came as something fundamental, and entirely logical. It wasn't something to become emotionally invested in, and most didn't mind turning a blind eye to the facts. In that way, perhaps, ten dimensional beings were strictly unable to comprehend the significance of loss. However not all in creation were so lucky.

Humans suffered from the realities all the time.

It had been a long, hard day. The bath was warm, and the sounds of the dripping water from the tap echoed pleasantly on the walls. There was something to be said for his nightly ritual, and how it soothed his mind in a way nothing else seemed to do. It wasn't as if he could call the experiences of being a demon gratifying, but, he could say that being one wasn't entirely bad.

In fact, he was quiet content with leaning back in a hot bath, pondering his life, and the world in which he lived. Perhaps he'd simply learned to appreciate the value of what he'd been given…or, perhaps it was because he was always the type of man, to find happiness in the saddest of times. Some beings might have argued that it was because he used to be human, that such a fact gifted his heart an understanding that no immortal being could ever achieve.

Whatever the reason was, he accepted the fact that he was still quite powerless to do anything.

Sure, he was beginning to fall into the powers of his new life and body. Yes, he was a demon, and baptized in the sins that tainted the earth so terribly…he even could acknowledge that his very ruler was a woman who sought terrible things, at the expense of anything she deemed meaningless. He could accept all of that…but, even if he was a demon, he was not omnipotent. Although he could levitate his body a few inches off the ground now, hold fire in his palm, and cast tiny bolts of lightning from his fingertips, he could not save the world.

He could not prevent the death of those he cared for. He could not stop the flow of time. He could only repent after he'd lost something great...but no apology would ever bring life. So, as he sat in the hot bath, his mind always seemed to wander down the path of remembrance, of things he could not change…of truths that still remained out of his control.

He craved to fix things that he could not, and often he addled himself over the finite world around him, grappling with the concepts of impossibility.

"You shouldn't agonize so much." Belldandy had told him as they shared the bath before separating for their nightly baptisms. Her fingers trailed over his stiff shoulders, trying to ease the tension found within him. "You've no need, forcing yourself to suffer more will never help you in your struggles."

"You can say that, but it doesn't do much good." Keiichi told her as she hugged him. Her hand found their place over his beating heart, and he rested his hand over hers. "It doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"I wouldn't know, Keiichi." Belldandy murmured slowly, her soft breath barely a whisper. "I've never lost a sister to her mortal life, so I have no way of understanding what you might be going through." Belldandy felt guilty over that, and her mouth became dry. She had always found some way to quantify pain with strength, but somehow, she found herself unable to do it this time. "Forgive me, Keiichi, as a goddess, it wasn't in my capacity to understand before."

"I'm okay, Bell." Keiichi sighed. He never did deal with death well. "You don't have to apologize for something like this." He could feel her uneasiness, her uncertainty at the edge of every breath, as if flowed through him. "It isn't your fault."

She realized, she'd given mortals far too little credit…or perhaps, she'd gifted them far more than she should have. The odd paradox made her waver, the cruelty of what creation chose for mortal souls seemed far more unsettling now. "Having never personally experienced something like this before, I don't know what to think about it. Megumi is blessed by the heavens, but, I don't know whether to smile for her, or to cry."

"It's because you're personally invested, this time." It didn't take the sting out of the truth…but, Keiichi knew nothing would. "If anything, I'm used to it by now." It didn't stop his eyes from burning, or his chest from hurting in that indescribable way that made him oh so tired, and yet restless. "This sort of thing happens every day."

"It does." Belldandy agreed quietly. She'd never thought she'd be so thankful that Keiichi had swallowed that pill in the past. Facing the loss of Megumi, his one and only sister, put into perspective the fleeting realities of mortal life. One thing Belldandy learned, was that mortals could somehow accept the loss of those older than themselves. The loss of grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts while difficult, was an easier thing to comprehend. She found, that humans were less willing to accept the death of those younger than themselves. Now, she began to understand why that was.

It seemed wrong, somehow. As if the idea itself was completely impossible. Belldandy wasn't just a bystander, watching the lives of the mortal race, not this time. This time, she herself had to bid farewell to very dear friend in a way she hadn't prepared herself for.

"What's it like to die?" Keiichi asked her. "What's on the other side?"

Belldandy didn't move. She sat in the warm water, letting the steam engulf her, as if it would offer protection. There were several times she made a move to say something, but each and every time her voice just wouldn't budge. "I'm sorry, Keiichi, but as a goddess, I'm restricted from telling you the heavenly administrative details." She searched, trying to find something, anything. "All I can say, is that because gods and goddesses live in an administrative part of heaven, souls of mortals do not arrive there. They go someplace else entirely."

"I see." Keiichi nodded.

"I'm sorry, Keiichi." Belldandy murmured again. "I'm sorry, but, I just don't know what to do."

"We keep on living." Keiichi said, without missing a beat. "That's all we can do, Bell." His eyes burned, but he didn't stop the tears. His sister was gone, and as the demon he was, he would never see her again. Somehow, he found himself alright with that, and it sickened him.

…

"They needed some time alone." Urd said at the kitchen table, located in her old home up in the heavens. "Keiichi's getting by, but, Belldandy's taking this harder than she normally would." The family home was huge, due to their father's heavenly position. They wanted for nothing growing up, but, they were not raised by their parents, in fact, the home exuded such a loneliness, even now.

Such a sterility had been taking a toll. "Big sis always cries." Skuld replied, also a bit saddened by the news. "Besides, since it's Megumi…"

"Yeah…" Urd agreed, taking a few moments to consider that. "You're right, Belldandy is easily swayed by her emotions." It was oddly serene, and yet, entirely pristine as thought it had gone untouched while the sisters remained away. There were likely a few goddess of third class caring for the home, but even they did well to stay hidden when they weren't called upon. "So, did Megumi make it into the system yet?"

"Let me look." Skuld said, tapping away at her miniature terminal that she used while away from the office. It took her a while to scan the documents, but finally, she found the file she was looking for. "It appears so. Her papers have made it to the transfer offices, and they accepted them as soon as they got them."

Urd smiled then, even if it was a bit sadly. "I'm glad." She only wished there was something she could do for Belldandy and Keiichi, but she was powerless to help them. With that in mind, there was still one person she could look after. "How are you holding up, Skuld?"

"I'm okay." Skuld said, before feeling like those amethyst eyes of Urd's were trying to read into her. "Um, the new job is going good, I guess. I'm learning a whole bunch of new things all the time." She said a bit shyly. "The other day, I even got to look at some old system logs from Nidhogg." Skuld tried to sound happy, but, she found it was much harder to do than she would have liked. "Did you know that both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg share the same exact start up programs?"

"I didn't, but, it makes sense." There was clearly a lingering strain between them. Urd knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she didn't think it would be so hard, either. "If things are going well, I won't stay too long."

"Urd…" Skuld said, looking back to her sister then. "Mother isn't home very often. Father is always absorbed in his terminal, that he never really looks at me. Sometimes, Hild will talk to me if she's up here…but none of the goddesses really take time to talk to me anymore. Lind thinks of me as her boss, and so does Peorth." The youngest Norn had never noticed it before, but, now it was clear as day. "No one really comes to visit, or anything..."

"Oh, Skuld." Urd finally sighed then. "Come here." She stood up from her place and pulled Skuld into her arms. "It'll be fine." Urd told her. "I promise."

"It's lonely here without you and big sis." The house wasn't quiet before. It had been filled with laughs, arguing, and even singing. It had never been so quiet, never for Skuld. Belldandy and Urd had made sure of that. "It's so quiet, and at night, it gets cold, and dark."

"I know it is." Urd could remember that distant time. "It was too quiet for me, too." The deafening silence she had to deal with, when Belldandy was away with her tutors…or, that haunting time when her sister was simply a ghost of her former self. "It'll be okay, I'll force it to be if I have to." For a house nestled in the heavens, there were far too many times when silence loomed over it…times Urd knew well.

She started to hum an eerie tune. It hailed from a place that she could not remember. The voice that had sung it to her was not a voice she easily recalled. Yet the tune and the lyrics came like a second nature, washing away the quiet illness that caked them. It was haunting, and bitter sweet, but it was a song Urd had always loved, even if she didn't know why.

…

The heavenly administration was different, it governed its people with a strict council, one made up of forthright gods and goddesses. They could not think like Hild, nor act as impulsively. Anzasu hadn't ever thought of that before, of just how many rules were there to regulate heaven and its people. Rules that were nearly inconsequential for any demon...especially a demon such as Hild. Yet, if what the demonic queen said held any truth at all, the battle between the holy and unholy could merely be seen as child's play.

"How long do we have, Hild?" Anzasu asked as she stood looking out over the very universe that so protected her daughters. Her eyes focused squarely on earth.

"About a thousand years." It was a drop in the bucket for them, not nearly long enough to change creation themselves. "Maybe more, maybe less. It depends on how creation decides to play things out." Hild laughed a little at the irony. "We may govern creation, but it governs our whims with a heavy hand...and when we become useless, we also become no more than a memory if we're lucky."

"Most children don't even have their powers by then, and you expect that Keiichi will?" Anzasu asked, feeling a bile begin to dance in the pit of her gut. She tossed a sideways glance Hild's way. "Even if he does, he won't be able to utilize them in a way to rule over your realm."

"Oh, he'll serve my purposes yet." Hild said smoothly, her smoky voice drifting over Anzasu in such a way that it eased the goddess due to the pure trust alone. Hild seemed self-assured. "Demons are nothing, if not resourceful."

"You put far too much of fate into this gamble of yours." Anzasu sighed. "Demons are also nothing, if not capricious."

Hild nodded, she could take that retort as mere truth, and little more. "The notion is an interesting one. I won't deny that I'm a bit interested to see how this really plays out." Hild's eyes grew dark, and so did her smirk. "However, I'm well aware of the limitations. Time might be a constraint, but Keiichi is much less a tether, and far more like the needed key."

"I suppose you refuse to elaborate on that, don't you?" Anzasu said then with a shake of her head. Her worries were not satiated, but at least she had a better grasp of just what lurked under her very nose. "I would be careful, if I were you. There are some in this family, Urd especially, who won't take kindly to you making such trouble."

"That, my dear Anzasu, is exactly what I'm counting on." Hild murmured with a smirk.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Time…

The very word was questionable, as it was an unending flow. Keiichi had so much of it on his hands now, more than he knew what to do with. He'd thought that he would become bored, but, really he found himself unsure. Hesitant to accept the malignancy that the world brought by nature, he wasn't entirely confidant that swallowing the pill had been the wisest idea he had ever had.

Yet, he firmly doubted it was the worst.

As the years went by, Keiichi had to help his appearance with Urd's concealing medicine. His demon body would not age, not like that of a mortal. Though he lived a fairly private life, the close family that he did have, were family best kept in the dark about his nature. To most mortal beings, he appeared elderly, even if he was such a person to carry a spring in his step.

The first hundred years were the hardest on him. His gradual change from mortal to demon had been a confusing one…and, in the grand scheme, it was only just the start. He'd gotten used to Belldandy knocking him around, and subsequently accepted it as part of their occasional routine…in fact, part of him started to like the idea that she would be territorial over him, or even firm when he did, occasionally, step out off line.

Keiichi watched many things, such as his family and friends grow old and pass on. He endured onward, until there was nothing left for him on earth. Even then, he sat there, gently cupping at the egg that sat around his neck. He found no reason for tears, as if he'd become immune to the darkness the world brought. His mind wandered to odd places as he mourned his last nephew, who'd had no children, and had never married.

The small, makeshift family, had not seen or heard from Hild in all of that time. Occasionally, Urd would feel her presence in a tree, or on top of the house, but, Hild remained otherwise occupied. Yet, on the day of the funeral, she arrived that afternoon in a scandalously low cut black dress, quietly observing Keiichi from afar.

"Stop being so damn reclusive." Urd ordered, edgy and unwilling to trust the ruler of the demon realm. "Either come out of hiding, or go home."

"So old, and yet, so young." Hild told her daughter, not paying any mind to the rude greeting as she came down from the roof. "I wondered if his power growth had been stunted, but, now I think he can truly become a fine demon."

"Is that so?" Urd frowned deeply. "I hate to say it, but you could be right." Conflicted, Urd couldn't do anything about it. The system was an unstoppable force of fate. "A man like Keiichi was not meant to see the years pass him by. Not like this, anyway...mot-" Urd stopped herself, shaking her head with a sigh. "It's been eating away at him."

"You won't suddenly become a demon just by acknowledging it, despite what you think." Hild replied easily. She felt almost glad that Urd struggled not to say it, and yet, she wished to hear the word. "It's what I am to you, after all." She gave her daughter a wink. "It won't make you anymore a demon than you already are."

"I'm a goddess." Defensive as always, Urd was the first one to toss up her guard to such a response. "I told you, it conflicts with my pride."

"It isn't about the power, our how you use it." Hild's eyes filled with hurt, but, a blink fixed that. It was as if her sadness hadn't even been there. "You know, Urd…they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Mortals say it, the heavens fear it, and, demons live by that creed." She offered her child an easy going smile but it faded quickly. "If that's the case, I'll see you in hell soon enough."

"Why have you come?" Urd finally sighed. "Can't you tell this isn't a time for your stupid antics?" She nodded over to Keiichi. "He's already suffered enough."

"I know all too well." Hild murmured, a dark hint in her voice. "I've come solemnly, bearing a gift to mark this event."

"I highly doubt he'll want whatever it is that you have for him." Urd warned, wanting to protect Keiichi. She had no idea what haunted her so, but, it irked her. "He's never been one to accept gifts."

"Perhaps not, but there is a great deal he doesn't understand about the greater universe." Her words were meant to be that of a truce and apology. Even so, Hild was sure that Urd would never grasp the implication. "It's time I give Keiichi something in return for the sacrifices he's made." Hild said quietly to her daughter. "I'd like to bestow him with this first limiter myself. It's the least I can do."

Urd didn't say a word, but she nodded, knowing that in the demon realm, it was a great honor to receive notice from Hild. Having gotten her daughter's blessing, the unholy ruler made her way to where a pensive couple sat. She put her hand on Belldandy's shoulder to gain her attention. "I need to speak with Keiichi, alone." She told Belldandy. "I'm not here to take him away, but, I do need to speak with him at length."

Reluctantly, Belldandy nodded. "Alright." As she stood, and left them to talk, she could hear Hild's sigh.

The demon queen reached out to touch the man's face. "I'd always thought to myself, that I would carry many offspring. To my greatest dismay, I carried only one after all." His markings denoting him a demon of Hild's command had finally appeared. "My only daughter chose to be a goddess, and in that, I failed my people." To see him now, as his markings glowed, Hild felt as if weight had drifted from a place she could not explain. "Keiichi, I think if I had given birth to a son, I would want him to be like you. The pill you took that day was of my blood, and my one desire to have a son made of the same ilk as myself."

Keiichi's eyes were drained, lifeless, and full of an empty void. She expected as much, because in his heart, he had once been human…and slowly those threads were being torn from him. In her hands she kept a box, and on the inside, she had his first piece of jewelry. "Demons do not only gain power from love." She told Keiichi softly. "We have to lose something, and the mourning of what we lose, gives us our greatest strength." Made of gold, like many of her own, the bracelet on the inside was well crafted. "To find some sort of retribution, Keiichi, it's only fitting that we try to spread misfortune on others…or, grant wishes in exchange for something we consider valuable."

She took his left wrist and placed the unholy trinket upon him, a gift normally bestowed by a parent, or close family. "Having lost your last tie that binds you to this earth, you have finally found the emptiness required. You can now call upon our guiding light, the star of misfortune. It will protect you well, when you have nothing. It will give you immense strength, when you seek everything. "

"Can I ask you something?" His voice was dry, his words heavy.

"Anything." She told him, her voice as gentle as she could afford him.

"What did you lose?" He asked, looking up at her, seeing all of her seals. "I can't fathom how you've gained such power."

"When you attain the unholy throne, you will understand exactly what I have lost." Hild told him, before examining the egg around his neck. He had kept it safe. "The seal limits your power, and with it, you are considered a fully-fledged demon of my command, capable of training and taking an exam for a license. I will train you myself." She told him.

With only her promise that she would not fail him, the bracelet felt more like a shackle. Perhaps, in some ways, it was. An icon of his future, glimmering in the sunlight, on a day when the gods and goddesses above didn't think to cry for him. No rain seemed to fall from above. "Can a demon like myself be welcome among heaven?"

"Not all are as kind as Belldandy." Hild replied, looking over to the three Norns, with whom she couldn't say she was particularly close. Yet to consider them enemies would be asinine. "You could survive there, but, I'd doubt you'd be welcomed with open arms." Hild also knew, the same could be said for the goddesses and the demon realm. "You could bring them to my domain, but, I wouldn't be able to promise Belldandy and Skuld safe passage. It isn't in our nature, I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah, I do." He said with a nod. "I suppose, just like always, nothing's really changed."

Hild laughed a little. "You'll find that it doesn't." She took him by the hand, and wondered why it was this man. This mortal who called upon the stars. That mortal who had become this demon now. That demon, who had lost enough to use his powers, and become a guiding unholy light himself. With a smile, she dragged him high into the sky, where she floated watching earth. "Ever since you swallowed the pill, you were slowly losing your mortal life, and in exchange for that, you were given power. That power is now your very breath. If you gaze from here, you'll see that mortals have changed immensely, but their nature remains much the same."

Keiichi nodded in understanding. Cars were coming out with new models every year. Even if the updates were small, over such a long period of time, he'd seen a vast difference. Having a hand in building them, he'd remembered when they still used fossil fuels, instead of sunlight or electricity. New innovations were happening every day, all over. "The news makes it sound like the world's falling apart, but from up here, you can't tell."

They were surrounded in the blackness known to humans as outer space, but to Hild, it was just an empty segment of creation that had yet to be utilized. "This is part what we govern...and yes, to humans, the earth may seem as if it's dying out…in some ways it is." She shrugged, not really bothered by it. "Our job is to destroy. True, we make the petty whims of mankind possible, but without that, where would the human race be today?"

Keiichi didn't know. "I really was insignificant as a mortal, wasn't I?" Knowing the truth made his emptiness sink further into him.

"One single thing will always lack importance." Hild said, amused that he was so easily inspired. "The greater whole, now, that's important." She quite enjoyed reclining back in the bed of nothingness. "Everything, even demons such as yourself, and goddesses like Belldandy are expendable."

She allowed her pupil to float in awe of the grand ideals that this brought. "How can that be?" Keiichi finally asked. "Belldandy is perfect. She'll always be needed."

"No, not always." Hild said offhandedly. "For example, all of the planets have the capacity to support life, just not yet…there will be a time and place for evolution to make use of what creation has to offer. Our role is to spur that evolution along. By allowing humans to covet the things they do not have, desire and the greed builds from within. The end result is a race of man who wish to attain the seemingly impossible."

"It's amazing." He murmured, just looking into the glow of the earth. What seemed like perfection was cradled conveniently in the orb of the little blue planet. He didn't know just how long he spent watching the universe pass him by, turning slowly, as if it wasn't even moving at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked to Hild, who wore a pensive expression. "It's just so breathtaking…creation, I mean."

"Yes, it is." Hild agreed with him, though she didn't look at the man who took the notice of her. "When Urd was young, I brought her to this place, so that she could put into perspective the vastness of what we control." Hild explained at length. "First class goddesses and demons alike have a very limited understanding, you see. They know only prudent information. The rest we store deeply in the archives of Yggdrasil and Nidhogg respectively. The only ones with access to that information are the privileged few at the law offices."

"If the people who work at the law offices see things like this all the time, it's no wonder Skuld would want to train there." Keiichi said as he started to become accustomed to floating around in the vacuum, defying the very laws of the universe itself. "This should be impossible." Yet, it was his reality. A reality that had befallen him the first time he'd made a phone call to the heavens, the first time Belldandy slipped through the mirror...the first time he'd made a wish. "My life has been filled with impossible things, hasn't it?"

At that, she looked at the young man, who like a young demon might, seemed overwhelmed by the idea. It was funny to see such an expression for the second time in her life. She had only seen such awe once before...the delight was something found all too rarely. "One day, Keiichi, half of creation will be yours to govern, and to protect. Balance is they key in all things, and you must provide the darkness to support the light."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

And so, the training began.

If he thought that physics class was hard during his university days, he hadn't fathomed just how much he didn't know. From complicated science classes, history, scriptures, and mythologies, Keiichi studied it all. Hild was careful to tutor him with strict lesson plans. He hadn't even begun to understand his magical power either. She had no intention of teaching the man how to use his power yet. Not without the ideology required to be a ruler to the demons of her realm.

It was early afternoon in the demon realm when Keiichi finally fell asleep, his current book on paradoxes sufficing as a pillow. Hild sighed with a shake of her head. Unsure if she should simply let him rest there, or if she should wake him up, she considered all that her pupil had learned…and all that he had yet to comprehend. She had worked him hard recently.

"Xic, start a fire." She told the young demon who served her.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded, going about to warm the chilly room. "Would you also like the drapes pulled?" He queried, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He was a slender lad, an orphan she'd taken in, but he was unsuited to anything more than a servant. Too young to work anywhere just yet, and too powerful to be ordered around by just anyone, she had to keep a careful eye on the boy.

His loss had been far too great, at far too young an age. His markings were well earned, but so too were his powers. It was an equal trade, but a horrible one as well that he'd had no choice in. "Of course." She told him, while considering those facts.

"Shall I get you something to drink?" The boy asked further, doing his tasks well.

"Yes, that will do nicely." Hild seated herself onto the sofa, and gave him a small nod. "Once you've done that, see to it that dinner is prepared, and then, draw a bath." She watched her servant part the dark colored curtains of Hild's main living room, the onyx wall beyond it was as that of a looking glass. There was nothing to gaze at just yet, but, Hild wasn't exactly fond of viewing anything inconsequential, either.

Instead, she sat in the quiet, warming herself by the fire, and considering Keiichi.

Even now as a demon, his eyes were so unassuming, and his gaze was that of innocence, well, as innocent as a man could be, she assumed. She looked to the boy, who was no older dapper adolescent, finding his way among the demonic hierarchy that so often scorned him. "Suppose Xic, if you would, that this man is indeed heir to the onyx throne. What might you say to that?"

Xic gave a bow, and then returned his eyes to the flames he coaxed from the wood. "I…I don't know." He said all too quietly. "I suppose I would follow your word as law."

"Ah, yes you would, Xic." Hild smiled at that. "However, why would you follow my word?" She asked him…it was true that she amused herself with demonic youngsters, especially if they had yet to discover their true power, or if they had far too much of it. "It is because of who I am, or, because my word is worthy of such devoted trust?"

Xic paused and bit his lower lip. His deep red eyes, the color of blood itself, made themselves visible when he removed his dark shades. "To risk being bold, I will say both." He folded his glasses and knelt down to the floor. "It is because you are the person who protects us, it is your guidance we trust."

"That's satisfactory." Hild replied, sighing when she looked back over to the sleeping Keiichi. "You are dismissed to begin dinner. Leave me with my student."

"Yes ma'am." Xic nodded, scurrying off to do what he was told. Hild took amusement with even that, because Xic was still a fairly young demon, and he hadn't yet the age required of him to see otherwise. He didn't fear her like most demons, and that was something she found to her liking. He was forthright, and honest…but, she knew his youth played a role in that. Even so, he was a useful demon to have around because he took pride in his perfection, and if anything, he always did her bidding well.

As she heard the kitchen begin to come to life, she knew she had time to expend. She stood, brushing her fingers through Keiichi's hair. "Keiichi." She husked in a low, smoky voice. "It's time to wake up, dear." She said to him, leaning in to send a soft breath of heated air across his ear. "Don't keep me waiting."

His eyes fluttered open, in spite of his greatest efforts to stay asleep, and what greeted him was nothing short of disturbing, her eyes glowing a deep demonic red, as if she were about to rip him to bits. "Gah!" He backed away, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Hild stood above him, a soft smirk on her features. "Real funny." Keiichi said, a slight tinge of pink on his face.

"I thought so." Hild told him, not particularly minding one way or the other about his lament. "You fell asleep studying again. If you keep doing that, one day you'll find yourself in a rather compromising position."

"I don't doubt it." Keiichi muttered, having already been pinned under Hild more than once already...though thankfully she hadn't done anything, yet. Grabbing at his book, but Hild swiped it away.

"Enough with the recommended reading for one day." She replaced his book mark and pondered a moment. The man was uncanny, and in such a way, she found herself enthralled with his complete and total lack normal demonic recourse. Due to his nature, she dismissed it…he'd always lacked particularities. "Tell me, from your studies, what would you say creation is?"

"Err…" Keiichi closed his eyes, trying to search his frazzled mind for an answer. "A computer program?"

That earned him a chuckle. "Creation is everything, and yet, it is nothing." Hild told him. She meandered back to the sofa, and snapped her fingers, bringing up a good view of the earth "Are you familiar with the theory of evolution?"

"Well, the human theory of it." Keiichi shrugged. "I don't know if there's more than one or not."

"That's fine, we'll start with that." Hild replied as she poured herself a glass of liquor. "You see, Keiichi, many people believe in evolution, or the embodiment of some deity, and that's how they conclude the world. It's either blind faith that comforts them, or scientific discovery that encourages them." With a sigh she rolled her eyes. "If only humans could truly understand the complex nature that creation is, then they would see the truth."

"I'm starting to understand that it's really a mix of both." Keiichi nodded, only to hear Hild sigh at him in disappointment.

"That Keiichi, is a perfunctory way to think at best…childish at worst." Still, at least he grasped the basic concept. "Creation gives a place for things to exist. Without the evolution of that place, it would become stagnate, and eventually become useless. If you study earth as a small experiment of sorts, you'll begin to understand that creation is merely a catalyst. It gives reason for all that was, all that is, and all that will come."

"I've always wondered why I exist." Keiichi said to her. "Why was the star of misfortune over my head for so long?" Keiichi asked, as he put his hand on the cold stone that illuminated the very world in which he lived. "Why would the star of good fortune find me, if I was meant to be a demon?"

"You put far too much blind faith in fate." Hild laughed. "It's true good fortune found you, but how can you be so sure it was due strictly to the goddesses at the help center?" Hild asked him. "How can you be sure it wasn't payback? It could very well be an unfortunate thing. That you even had the chance to meet Belldandy and the other goddesses might simply be payback, and little more."

"Even if it does someday become unfortunate, I wouldn't regret it." Keiichi told her. "I'm happy to have been given the chance to meet her."

"That's good Keiichi." Hild agreed wholeheartedly. "Even at the expense of all else, hold the value of those you love. There is no payment that would be equal to that."

…

_We're going to heaven again, Urd? _Elegance sighed as she floated beside her master's potion table. _Don't you think we leave a little too often?_

_We don't go often enough._ Urd replied, having packed the bag she was so adamant about taking. Filled with enough dry ice and ice cream to keep Skuld happy was only a token gesture, but, it was all Urd could really do. _If I didn't know any better, we would have moved up to heaven with her, but, I can't leave Belldandy alone yet._

_Belldandy's fine._ World of elegance sat up, now worried. _Isn't she?_

Urd offered a mild shrug. _You talk to Holybell, what do you really think?_

That forced the angel to pause in discontent, her brows furrowing. _I think…I think that if Holybell is any indication, that everything will be okay here._ World of Elegance wanted to believe that, but worry nipped at her. _She's happy, Urd. She's found something in which she undeniably has faith. _There was something though…something that had always seemed so easy to ignore.

_Yes, but given the fact of just who gave Belldandy that gift, can you say you trust it?_ Urd asked then, the implication deeply lacing her words. _Can we really trust the ruler of hell, a demon among demons, at her core? _Urd shook her head. _Can we trust Keiichi not to follow in her footsteps because of what he is now?_

Those questions were all valid points. Elegance had to admit that. She also couldn't deny her own history, her origin a stark reminder of the raw power Urd spoke of. _Urd, do you…_ That's what made this conversation so troubling. _You don't suppose that because of that little detail, that you might, umm…_ The angel sighed, floating towards the window, gazing upon the early morning sky. There was no easy way to ask, and so she just blurted it out. _Do you hate me?_

Urd held a vial in her hands, stilling her potion making. _No. You're my angel. I can't hate you._ The reply was forced, but, it was all Urd would offer before the angel turned to look at her. The topic was uncomfortable, and she returned to the conversation about her sister instead. _The truth is, I'm worried about Keiichi. I think Belldandy is all too willing to be blinded by her happiness. _

_I don't see that as a bad thing._ World of Elegance said, playing along, falling into old habits that died hard. _Let her be ignorant, if that's what she wants to do. It'll just give us a chance to make our move. Keiichi is a fine demon, as I've told you before._

Urd looked up, now having been provoked. _That is exactly what I'm afraid of…_ She mentally hissed, feeling quite unsure where this was going to lead, but she didn't like it at all. _People making moves…people toying with them…demons, playing with their hearts until there's nothing left._ It made her sick just thinking about it. _Keiichi goes to the demon realm for weeks, months at a time…time he isn't with Belldandy. Do you really want her to be alone here on earth, waiting for him by herself?_

That caused World of Elegance to ponder her master's words in a different way. _So, you'll leave Skuld in heaven for long amounts of time?_ The angel asked, folding her arms in dismay. _She's lonely too, Urd. Lonely, and with no one to look after her…you know what that was like._ World of Elegance protested with a shake of her head. _You understand the solitude._

_My sisters have put me in an awkward situation, but, I can't be both places at once all the time. I have to do what's best for me too, for us. _She continued to conjure her latest work, but in a cloud of white smoke, it all fell apart when the elixir became unstable. _What do you have concocting in your head now? You're making me lose concentration!_

World of Elegance toyed with the white silk that so often covered her body when she wasn't entirely materialized. She plucked and fluffed at it, until she found the strength to look her master in the face. _I'm half devil too, so, I'm not just an angel. I can't help that I'm just as selfish as a devil might be. I want a future, Urd. A future that isn't so quiet. I want a life that's our own, with all of our own happiness. _Finally the angel said the most damning thing yet. _I want that man…that man that so accepts us. If that makes me condemned, so be it!_

There was no avoiding it, even as much as Urd wanted to. She could have ordered her angel to do some pretty horrible things, but, this was far more than her angel's normally aggravating behavior. _No, I suppose you aren't able to completely cast aside particular feelings._ Urd relented. _Even if we were a full blooded goddess and angel, a heart denied is a dangerous thing._

_So, do you hate me because of that?_ World of Elegance asked. _Don't you hate what that implies!_

Urd shook her head. _It's my fault. I'm not just a goddess._ Urd went on to say as she cleaned up the mess in front of her. _Elegance, you're my angel…if I seem to harbor any residual resentment towards you, it's only because I know the truth._ She locked away her bubbling works, and secured her important vials. _I am not the goddess heaven wants me to be, and yet, I refuse to be the demon that my bloodline implies me to be. Earth is the one place that it doesn't matter. No one looks down on me here, or shakes their head in shame._

_Is that why you stay?_ World of Elegance murmured, praying for an answer. _Is that why you refuse heaven and hell so utterly? Why we live here, instead of returning to a proper place?_

Urd didn't answer, but as an angel, Elegance didn't require one.

It took a moment for World of Elegance to digest the unspoken admission before fluttering away from the window to cling onto her master. Urd merely sighed. _Enough with the waterworks._ Urd commanded gently, brushing away the droplets of moisture that fell from her angel's eyes._ My angel shouldn't be so quick to cry. Have a little backbone._

World of Elegance shook her head. _You don't cry enough._

Urd didn't pay the comment any mind as she continued to dry her angel's eyes. _Now listen, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks may do wonders for some goddess and their angels, but it just makes us look like a mess. _She took the time to pull a small vial of powder from one of her shelves. _It isn't attractive, nor conducive to the real power we know we hold deep within us._ She used it to return those rosy cheeks back to their normal angelic ivory. _Now then, keep your head held high. It's what I expect you to do._

…

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Keiichi asked as he put away his bags, having arrived back on earth for a visit with Belldandy, who like the goddess first class that she was, always eagerly awaited him.

"Urd has always fought for acceptance." Belldandy said offhandedly. "In pursuit of it, I'm sure she's also managed to leave a void someplace in her heart about it." Belldandy had never known Urd to be fully happy with herself, or, with her status in heaven. "World of Elegance simply manages to latch onto such empty spaces, in an attempt to fill them. In response to Urd's need for approval, it makes perfect sense that Elegance seeks the same."

Keiichi nodded his head as he turned the page of the thick tome in front of him. "Ah, I get it." He said, a bit bored, as he looked up to see his beautiful goddess gazing at him. "You think Urd will ever find what she's looking for?"

"It's hard to say." Belldandy told him, as she reached forward to inspect the cover of his current task. "Urd wrote that, you know."

"The book?" He frowned, looking at the cover, but there was no name to be found. "I didn't know she had any skills in writing."

"She doesn't." Belldandy said with a soft laugh. "However, she has plenty of knowledge in the topic of paradoxes. She is the Norn of the past, so it's only right that it would come naturally to her." With a soft smile, Belldandy reclined back a bit on the bookcase she was leaning on. "I'd like to think Urd herself is a paradox in many ways."

"Have you written anything?" Keiichi asked, receiving a nod in reply. "Think I could read that, one day?"

"Heaven's law dictates that whenever a heavenly body falls in love with someone unlike themselves, that they keep a record of the events that take place." Belldandy shrugged, not particularly concerned with it one way or the other. In her mind it was much less the love story of the century, and far more just another fairytale hiding the truth. "You've no need to read it, as you are writing our history with me." She knew the outcome to this romance, though she truly ignored it as much as she could. "Besides, this is merely heaven's way to lay fear into a past that goddesses and gods of the future haven't experienced."

It was clear Belldandy didn't agree with it, but, he also didn't dig deeper. Something told him it was unwise to pry. Instead, he let his eyes drag themselves over her peaceful form, his mind wandering to less than savory places.

Seeing the woman he loved so at ease by his presence, and feeling that her angel was the same, gave him a reason to distract himself. He swallowed hard as he considered those soft lips against his own, his greed bubbling from within his very heart. He knew this feeling well, it was demonic lust at its finest. All he would have to do was release the aura from within his heart, and he could command the women of his home to do as he wished.

His power would also attract Urd, and what demon in his right of mind wouldn't seek her attentions?

Belldandy didn't like it when that happened, he knew, but it wasn't something easily resisted. If he released his power, he would end up forcing her to send a wind spell or two at him. Aggression never did appeal to her, even if she played her possessive role dutifully. Forcing himself to sigh, he returned to his book, trying to pull back the power that was seeping from him.

He was learning to control himself better and better by the day, but, it also seemed like agony to do so. She was right there, so close, he could very nearly imagine her speaking his name in a heated whisper, and he slammed the book he was reading closed. "Damn it." He growled, purely frustrated, as he considered what his power might invoke Urd to do to him...the prospect if being electrocuted to a crisp aside, he couldn't deny, he wanted to try just once. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He ranted to himself.

Within a moment, he felt Belldandy wrap her arms around him. "You don't have to use your powers to get my attention." She told him, having watched his struggle, feeling it within the very pit of her own soul. It reminded her of his mortal days, when he was so very skittish to even the most innocent touch. As a demon, he shouldn't have had any problems doing what he wanted, but, he was always mindful of her. "However, you also shouldn't hold them back if they become so powerful. Don't try to contain your nature for my sake, it isn't healthy for you to try to do that."

"I know I don't have to use it." He muttered, his mind still in a fog. "The thing is, it's tempting." He finally said then. "Really, really tempting to just let my power run amok." He was always so careful to keep his more undesirable traits under lock and key…at least as much as he could. He released an unsteady breath. "You have no idea what's going on in my brain right now." He swallowed hard. "It's so..." He shook his head. "So wrong!"

It was times like this, Belldandy had to meet him halfway and step out of her comfort zone to do so. "It makes me happy to know that you've missed me, just as much as I've missed you." She told him, trying hard to adjust her frame of mind. She wasn't prone to overt acts outside of the bedroom, but she sighed into his shoulder as she let her hands dip down, under his shirt, feeling his toned abs flex as her fingers caressed him, teasing him just enough without going overboard. "There's no shame in expressing one's love for another, Keiichi. Even if that love is filled with darkness and temptation, I don't mind."

Whatever tension that had been building up, angering him so profusely, melted away at her touch. He knew it took a lot for her to do things in a place where someone might unwittingly walk in. "Just when I think I have things under control, my mind starts toying with some of the worst ideas I've ever had." He muttered, a bit shyly at being caught by his own inward thoughts. "Sometimes, I think I should just piss Urd off, and let her beat the crap out of me...maybe then, my powers will take the hint."

It was the guilt within him that gave her comfort. "Urd will be leaving for heaven to visit Skuld soon. Then you won't have to worry about your powers afflicting her." She could alleviate his power influx with one simple spell, but Belldandy suspected that she should try a different method. "Tell you what, why don't we go searching for a hot spring nestled someplace away from prying eyes." She said to him as he eased himself into calm by her words. "I can pack a simple dinner, a blanket, and we can camp out under the stars. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"Yeah." Keiichi nodded, sighing away the last of his anger. "Yeah, it does."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'm about 23 chapters in, and upon reflection, going back, and looking through these older ones, it really is kinda cool to see how much my perspective on the characters have changed. Chapters 11-20 I think hold some of the biggest changes of all, so, I'm really happy that I get to rekindle that part of the writing again by posting them. Since this series spans about a thousand years, it's really interesting to put myself into the mindset that every hundred years is really just a blink of an eye, and that it really is all too fleeting.

It's helped me to put into perspective, more how goddess might react to mortal life, with all of that time condensed so profusely. So, that said, the other branching path is in the works, with Belldandy being Mortal. I know of at least three people here are really hoping for that storyline, and so, I've got a clear view now of what I want that story to be, and having started to write it side by side with this fiction. it's really cool because they seem to challenge each other.

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know, that branching path is in the works, and will start to be posted in late April or early May sometime.

* * *

Chapter 12

The chronicles of Keiichi's second century...

Dark times befell creation.

Though earth wasn't exactly a place he cared for anymore, he still chose to live there. He didn't dare relinquish his happy home, even though Skuld insisted that they travel to heaven, Keiichi wasn't willing to part with his tiny utopia. He had no intention of going to the underworld either, at least not when he didn't have to. His training kept him busy, yet, he would not part with the shrine.

If time was a cruel mistress for eternity, it wouldn't have surprised Keiichi. As Mars started to successfully colonize into sprawling cities, Earth faced total annihilation as many countries waged war with one another. Misfortune was on the rise, and along with it came great anarchy to the system force. Yggdrasil reacted violently, sending tremors and other ciaos to try and stop the senselessness. Finally after countless numbers of the human population had been lost, it reached a quiet period.

For a short time, Mars became the dominant power, and all of creation had to work especially hard to restore the earth to its former glory, without intervening with the natural order.

If his first hundred years in life were filled with a mix of great joy and great pain, his second hundred were filled with hard training by Hild. Often, for weeks on end, he would go to the depths of hell and learn topics that only she could teach him. He began to understand the basics in the demon realm, and the complexity behind the dark motivations.

He could finally accept them as factual, and strangely logical.

Hild was not an unkind ruler, as many would think her to be. She was loved by her people, and they were devoted to her without question. Still, she didn't tolerate insolence. Her ire was a great one, and though she never truly harmed Keiichi, he'd never given her a reason to. He was a slow but dutiful student, who would stop at nothing once threatened.

All she merely had to do was stall his return to his lover, and he would perform great tasks. Recently, he was the talk of creation itself. Heaven and hell murmured of him behind closed doors, but, Hild knew the truth. She understood what lurked in Nidhogg's deepest files, though she would never speak them to Keiichi or Tyr.

"I'm merely relaying information." There was one, however, that Hild would call. "You can take it how you see fit, Anzasu."

An angry, yet beautiful lilt came across on the phone line. "How am I supposed to take it?" The first class goddess rebuked. "Hild, if you planned this, I swear to all of the heavens, you'll pay dearly."

Hild was unimpressed with Anzasu's bluster. "Come now, I have no need to sully my hands by such off putting means." Though Anzasu couldn't see her, she smirked, overjoyed by the rage she found within the very breath of her good friend. "Bluntly speaking, you know that the heavens can't be forthright about this, I however, can be."

"I'm starting to see that." Anzasu said, venom in her voice. "Tell me then, did my husband agree to this as well?"

From the sounds of it, Anzasu was flipping through the mound of papers that littered her desk on any given day. It was one piece of paperwork particularly, that she knew addled the goddess. "I wouldn't say he planned it, but, when the system force shut down, I'm sure he saw it as an opportunity. We decided to open a treaty contract strictly after that."

"How did you find out?" Anzasu asked darkly.

"Urd called me." Hild replied coolly. "Told me to release Keiichi from training immediately, if not sooner. She even refused to tell me why. All it took was a quick look-see into Nidhogg, and I found out all that I needed to."

"You're playing hard ball, and Tyr is playing along." Anzasu said quite unhappily. "Your little game is going too far, Hild."

"I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." While she often wasn't one to make such risky moves, it was finely tuned, and had been calculated perfectly. This was simply the end result. "Belldandy will be gifted all of the happiness that can be afforded. That is all I have to say in this matter."

Without waiting for a reply, she unplugged her phone and thoroughly ignored it, and all of the ranting she was sure to come of it later. Instead, she amused herself with her abilities as a ruler. After all, it didn't takes lies and deceit to get to Tyr, or to make her point crystal clear. All it took was a simple little glitch or two, and heavenly orders to shut down the system.

After that, it all became so easy. She astounded herself with how simple everything really was, especially now. Particular interferences weren't in her way anymore, or, more accurately, Keiichi's way. There was more than one answer to perverting the system, and inadvertently get by particular codes. Sure, she may have cast a spell in her past to conceive Urd, but, that had been crude…

This was far more to her liking…and also, less damaging in the long run.

As if to play the devil's advocate, her young, but forthright attendant seemed quite bothered by her newest victory. "Lady Hild, don't you think this is unwise?" Xic asked when he brought the nightly reports to her.

She looked over to the large stone block. Onyx that she had personally chosen was slowly being chipped away to make a secondary throne. "He is to succeed me." Hild said with a bored expression, looking over the papers for all of the shares collected for today. "Is that a problem for you, Xic, bringer of death?"

"N-no not at all." He said, bowing deeply to his queen. "I meant no disrespect." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You see, it's just that those demons loyal to you, are devout to your power and judgment." He looked away a bit shyly.

"That is the way I intend for it to be." Hild said then, looking up from her papers. "Demons under my authority should be happy. I give them the freedoms to do as they wish within reason. Past rulers have not been so kind. I shouldn't receive complaint for my kindness." She quite liked this boy, a mere child though he was. "Come to me Xic." She ordered.

He did as he was told, and she put her hand over his beating heart, feeling his energy, and his fear. "I will protect you and this realm, Xic. Trust in my words." The boy nodded, but doubt still lingered. "Must I smite the heavens more?" She asked the boy. "Speak child…you mustn't be mute."

"We praise you for your kindness, because you are the queen we follow. There is no one better, no one more fitting than you." He agreed with a bow that she quickly halted.

"Then why, Xic, do you seem so concerned?" Hild asked him, pulling the young one into her arms with great care. "As a mere boy, you've already lost enough in my name. You have earned your markings, Xic, you don't need to suffer more."

"They seek your approval." Xic replied into Hild's shoulder before pulling away to face the woman who was the embodiment of hell itself. Her eyes were like daggers, but, she waited calmly, carefully…craving to find out just who she should punish. "They are curious as to why you treat your pupil with such reverence, while they toil continually, without your regard." As if he was trying hard not to commit blasphemy, he closed his eyes tightly, shaking in his terror of what backlash might come. "It's no question Hagall is very strong, and many thought she would follow in your footsteps."

Hild laughed darkly. "Is that so?" Hild asked, to which, the boy nodded. "Only a complete imbecile would grant Hagall the throne." Hild replied a bit disturbed with the mere idea. That particular demon was not a diplomat in the slightest. She was too brash, too violent, too willing to destroy what ought not to be fooled with…it was exactly that kind of future Hild endeavored to prevent. A humor, one she was sure Xic would not understand, found her voice. "Am I to assume that such statements reflect your own opinion on the matter as well, Xic?"

"Forgive me." He said, this time kneeling to the floor, again, she forced him to stand and regard her. She didn't like his fear, knowing where it came from. "It was not my intention to sound that way." Having never so much as raised her voice to the boy, such a child had no reason to fear her at all…but, it was what it was. "I didn't meant to sound as if I'm ungrateful for all that you've done."

She stood from her throne. "Xic, pick up your head and look at me." He followed her orders, and then she continued by kneeling down to his level. "Keiichi is worthy of the throne, and that is all you need to know." She told him simply. "However, should this come into question again, by anyone, allow them this knowledge; he is my chosen progeny." Hild told him. "My blood and power is the selfsame as his. I've intended it that way. To deny acknowledgement to him, is to scorn me."

"Yes, I understand." With another nod, he went back to his duties to inspect the onyx block for any imperfections. As a young boy, he was slightly curious about Keiichi's nature. "Does Urd also view him with reverence?"

Hild took a moment to think on that. "Urd views him with trust. She puts a great deal of faith in him." She finally nodded her head. "I would say she accepts him as her equal, despite what he's become." It made her angry to know that, jealous of Keiichi's luck in the matter. "In that way, I would say her respect for him is even greater than my own." Still, she would not cast such ire at Xic…she was a demon of perfect control, and she took pride in that.

Xic seemed to brighten at that. "She called you today, didn't she?" He asked, knowing that Hild had indeed receive an invoice from Urd. It was the talk of hell, when such a thing happened because it was both rare, and celebrated.

"Yes, but it wasn't for pleasantries I'm afraid." Hild replied casually. "She was looking for Keiichi. I'll tell him of her call later." Feeling parched, she took a sip of the liquor that she kept nearby. This boy suffered far too much, far too soon…and he would be a strong demon one day because of it…yet for now, she wished him peace of mind. "Xic, you should go place flowers upon the graves of your parents."

"Do you not require my services?" He asked then, feeling once again as if he was merely a burden to his people.

"What I require from you, is really very simple." Hild told him as she grabbed her sake bottle in one hand, and grabbed his hand with the other. "I need you to grow strong, and to vow to me every ounce of loyalty you have within you. If you can do that, Xic, you will always have a home, and a place within my domain." She took a sip, and regarded the boy. "Now, come along. We have flowers to place, it is time you mourn."

…

She hadn't been so pissed off in her entire life. "Tyr!" The goddess shouted, storming through the halls with an steel in her stance. Creation's law offices were stationed in a little nook found within the corner of creation itself. Everyone made way as the first class goddess, first category, searched for her husband. Her attendants were hot on her heels, until one sideways glance made them halt in panic.

Her sights set were set on Tyr, and Tyr alone. She entered his office, sending the door flying off its hinges in her wake. "What in the name of creation do you think you're doing?" She hissed.

"We're in trouble." Skuld rightfully crouched behind her desk when her mother glared at her.

"Trouble is when I catch you disassembling my appliances to build robots." Anzasu told her daughter. "This is more than common place mischief."

"Um, right." Skuld said, now completely under her desk.

"Skuld, come out from hiding." Tyr said, a bit gruffly. "Your mother is simply mildly annoyed."

"I'm fine, really." Skuld didn't budge. "I've got to fix the wires down here anyway." She chirped nervously. "They're all tangled."

"Skuld dear, you needn't worry. This is a matter between your father and myself." Anzasu said primly before turning to her husband. "Furthermore, I'm not mildly annoyed, I'm livid!" She bellowed before calming down only slightly. "Now I'll ask you again. What do you think you're doing?"

Tyr sighed at great length. "The same thing I always do, try to balance out the heavenly shares." He returned to his terminal, when his wife unplugged it. "What now, Anzasu?"

"What is this?" She asked shoving a piece of paper in his face.

"A transferal form." Tyr said, leaning back in his chair, his long black hair got in his way, and he flicked some tendrils behind his back.

"Do you think this is funny?" She berated him.

"Not particularly, no." Tyr replied with a dull expression. "Why do you ask?"

"That's your daughter, Tyr!" Anzasu shouted. "Find someone else!"

He knew this was going to happen when he'd first arranged the agreement, but now he almost regretted it. "There is no one else." He said sternly. "I have to do what needs to be done."

The goddess was unimpressed, standing her ground. "I have supported your whims for long enough." Anzasu told him. "When you wanted to give Keiichi to the demons, I was a bit worried at first, but I accepted it for what it was." She began, ticking her frustrations off on her fingers. "When you decided, in your infinite wisdom, to have Skuld trained here, I could understand. She could do with strict training that comes with her new job." This was one thing, however, that Anzasu would not agree with. "However, this is where the buck stops."

"Beg your pardon?" Tyr asked, quite indignantly. "I didn't realize you thought you had authority in this matter."

"Denied..." Anzasu scolded. ""You will not dictate Belldandy's life too. Hild's already meddling enough without your help."

"Everything is going as planned." Tyr said calmly. "You will not have to worry, Belldandy is a strong goddess." He said, trying to appease his wife.

"Tyr…" Anzasu warned him sternly.

"I speak only the truth." Tyr said then, befuddled. "Belldandy is a very well bread goddess, dutiful, and kind." Looking to his wife in sure confusion, he merely shrugged. "I don't see the issue." It was the wrong thing to say. Anzasu was on to him, he knew. Yet, he could not lie, nor deny that he did indeed, make a treaty agreement with Hild.

"If you do anything..." Anzasu steadied her voice, as her hands fell on her hips. Tyr rolled his eyes, knowing that stance all too well. "And I do mean anything else…anything at all to give Belldandy and Keiichi trouble, I will seal you in a teacup…"

She would do it too, and Tyr knew it. As was the way their lover's spats normally ended up. Most wisely stayed out of martial arguments that resulted in a sealing, especially if it was Anzasu's temper that was provoked. "Yes, well you won't have to worry." He said as he cleared his throat. "Belldandy will be learning her place here thoroughly. She is to take my place among the council, she'll be a fitting goddess for the task. Trust in my words."

Anzasu crossed her arms. "When I asked for one of our children to help carry on our line of work, I meant Urd. She could use some time to really get to know her mother, even if you do detest the idea."

"Urd has her place, down on earth. She has no intention of being friendly with Hild, anyway." Tyr replied easily, offhandedly disturbed by the thought of Urd and Hild actually getting along. He knew it wasn't very likely, but, he didn't approve of the idea either way. "I have decided that Belldandy would be best. Do not question my reasoning, I have spoken."

"I knew we should have kept trying for a son. Even if we had failed, it would at least have kept you busy." Anzasu sighed at her husband. "Now listen, I understand that you believe in your heart, of deepest hearts, that you know what's best for them." She shook her head. "I still beg to differ."

"Differ all you like." Tyr said, not giving an inch, nor bending to his wife's plea. "It won't change the fact that this was put into motion long ago. Belldandy will take her rightful place, and that's merely the end of it."

"Oh, it'll be the end alright." Anzasu grabbed the teacup that was on Skuld's desk, and poured the contents of it on the floor. "One good reason, Tyr." She said placing the cup in front of him. "It had better be exemplary."

He rolled his eyes, wondering why he decided to fall in love with such complicated women. Many gods would laugh at Tyr's choices, since both Hild and Anzasu were not women to trifle with. It wouldn't be the first time his wife had sealed him inside of something unpleasant, but he didn't want to be crammed into anything again, at least not any time soon. "I promised Hild I would leave behind a legacy that could not be thwarted, as long as she promised to do the same. It is a binding agreement."

"Explain." Anzasu frowned, letting that sink in. "How exactly do you plan to do that?"

Tyr merely shrugged. "You know, Anzasu, there are some merits to Keiichi being a demon." He wasn't happy about the agreement, but he had to admit, when Hild was right, she was right. She was not entirely unsound, as many in heaven would have liked to believe. Quite the contrary in fact, Hild's intelligence could easily be argued to be greater than most in creation. "I'm not saying that it has to happen, but, now that he is a demon, I would say it's only a matter of time. Hild's request is one we should honor. I see it befitting, don't you agree?"

"Why did I bed down with such a convoluted god?" Anzasu relented, her mouth dry, and her head pounding. This was truly not her fondest moment. "Alright, I won't seal you today." She finally told him, catching the hint of what he was saying. She still wasn't sure she liked it though. "However, let it be known, if you do anything like this again without telling me, you will thoroughly regret it." She told him, wagging her finger, as if somehow that would intimidate him further. "I mean it Tyr, no more."

When her mother left, Skuld looked up from her desk, blinking as she looked over at the shroud that concealed her father. "Dad?" Skuld asked a bit nervously.

"Yes?" Tyr was exasperatedly plugging his terminal back in so that he could power it back up.

"Mom was really, really angry. I was thinking maybe we shouldn't do this." Skuld said then, eying the broken door and the hall, as if she might come storming back in at any moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Skuld." Tyr nodded, though he knew his daughter couldn't see him. "Proceed to call Peorth and confirm Belldandy's license transfer. I want her to be identified as first class, first category, unlimited."

"Um, okay." Skuld dialed the number, doing as she was told, but somewhere in the back of her mind her worry crept up again. She began slouching in her chair, as if that would magically protect her from her mother's fury "Hey Peorth..." Skuld said when the other goddess answered the line. "I need you to do something, and you aren't going to like it..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Remind me to murder Keiichi." Urd sighed, as she continued trying to repair the latest, and so far, greatest destruction of Yggdrasil she'd seen so far. In her entire life as a goddess, she'd seen plenty of things, but never an error that caused such volatile reactions to the heavenly super computer. In fact, if she were honest, the awesome power of it was something she couldn't comprehend.

"Why would you do that?" Peorth asked, quite confused, as she too, worked to repair the computer. "According to the security logs, it's Belldandy that's causing the error violations."

"Well, I can't say I blame her." Urd replied, not entirely enthused about having been assigned back to her old administration job strictly because of what her sister had managed to accomplish. "A goddess in her condition should have errors in her code…but what I don't understand, is why Yggdrasil simply isn't accepting the change to her programming."

"It could be that Belldandy is spreading too much fortune." Peorth surmised. "She is quite excited."

"The shares are back into balance, for now." Skuld told Peorth, while she was thoroughly rebooting different systems with Urd's help. "I think it's because of Keiichi…he's not a god you know…so, and Belldandy isn't a demon."

"I thought you had turned the system force off." Urd said, glancing through the various protocols that maintained Yggdrasil. "This stupid computer shouldn't be acting this way!"

"Oui, I did." Peorth said with a nod, as she too tapped away at many different screens. "I made absolutely sure that I turned off anything and everything we could afford to lose." With a sigh, and the echoing beeping of all the terminals working in unison, Peorth found herself bogged down by countless bugs, glitches, and missing programs. "It seems as if the effort was fruitless."

"I wouldn't say that." Lind stood unmoving by Skuld's side, guarding every single file that Skuld stored and removed from Yggdrasil. "Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't shut those systems down. It might have very well blown up the earth."

"If it makes you feel any better, Nidhogg suffered a huge malfunction before it crashed too." Skuld replied as power to Yggdrasil dwindled yet again, casing the super computer to flicker. "What's going on?" Skuld asked then, nervous and frustrated.

"Keiichi can't keep it in his pants, that's what's going on!" Urd yowled as she lost connection and power died out once again. "Damn it…" She was so very tempted to cast a spell at the machine, but she knew that would hinder their progress even further.

Power returned a moment later. "This is really starting to freak me out." Skuld sighed, signing into her terminal yet again.

"There's nothing to be afraid of…this is more or less, expected." Tyr said marching into the computer room based in heaven. "Nidhogg crashed again, Hild's people can't seem to get it up and running." He reported. "None of the systems are functional. What's the status up here?"

"Ours are hardly functioning. More archives keep getting deleted." Skuld told her father. "We've lost half of the override codes we use when transferring wishes, and to make matters worse Yggdrasil keeps trying to turn itself off and start back up again. At this rate, we're probably going to lose over half of all the data stored on it."

"I was afraid of that." Tyr groused under his breath.

"We'll finish the cleanup, and then try to restore the system to prior settings." Peorth told Tyr, her fingers in a frenzy upon the screens.

"Good, see that you do." Tyr nodded. "Skuld, sign out of the system. I need you to come with me."

"Where are we going?" Skuld asked, doing as she was told.

"Back to the law offices." Tyr replied. "If we can't get Nidhogg up and running soon, we will need to access it remotely from the law offices."

"Dad...I don't think that's the problem." Skuld said with a blush on her face.

"Then what, may I ask, is?" Tyr nearly growled.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain..." Skuld replied, her bashfulness getting the better of her.

…

"This is bad." Keiichi gulped, watching the servers crash once again from the bowels of hell itself.

"It's been worse, back before we had Nidhogg and Yggdrasil, we had to rely on more archaic means." Hild said, though, there was a worried glint hidden in the depths of her eyes. "I want a full status report, now!" Hild boomed, gathering her people by sure force of will alone. All in the bowels cowered before rushing to their respective terminals, trying to seek out the cause.

"It isn't looking good." Thrym was the first to respond, stating the obvious. "We've lost all the systems, and the animals outside are running wild." Running up the corridor, her feet pounded loudly through the halls. Her size alone made her an intimidation, but even more than that, the female demon was little more than pure strength. "Nothing's coming back online!"

"For all of her bluster, she's corrected." Hagall sighed with exasperation as she followed her more dimwitted friend. She gave Hild a short but meaningful bow. "We've lost all power to the systems. Furthermore, we tried to contact support from heaven, but all we received was some form of jumbled static in reply." She regarded the tall woman at her side. "Thrym tried to force an open connection, but that didn't work either. We're running out of options."

"What of your abilities, Hagall?" Hild asked her. "Have you been able to contact anyone?" Taking the time to inspect the second strongest demon in the realm, looking for any traces of a lie, Hild concluded there was not an ounce of malice to be found.

"Only briefly." The situation was not a time for deception, Hagall knew. The hells depended on the safe retrieval of Nidhogg's files. "The situation isn't exactly routine, and I'm not able to do much in the state both systems are in." Nipping at her lower lip, the beautiful demon sighed. "I can't use telepathy for extended periods when trying to reach a place like heaven. All I could do was send a very generic distress signal."

"Of course." The lights cut out then, causing Hild to grumble unhappily. With her power, it was merely an afterthought to light all the candles in the area with a flick of a finger alone, but she knew that wouldn't solve her largest issue. "Where's the rest in your party?"

"I ordered them to prepare a series of portals in case we had to evacuate." Hagall said, her report tinged with the worry that she felt.

"Very good." Hild replied, thinking fast on her feet. Demons had a habit of going wild when things slid out of order, at all cost, she had to prevent that from happening. "Thrym, since our defenses are down, assemble our finest warriors and scour the inhabited areas for any dangers." She looked over to Hagall then. "Hagall, continue to try to force a proper message to heaven, and help out here with Nidhogg." With a due amount of haste, she headed back to her chambers. "Keiichi, go to earth."

"Earth?" The demonic man found himself lost, and confused.

"There is only one reason why both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg would react so violently." Hild replied. "They're responding to a Norn's influence." She offered him an offhanded smile. "I wouldn't worry, Keiichi, but, I would return to Belldandy all the same."

…

Keiichi had been eagerly awaiting a break, but he found it odd when Hild told him to return to Belldandy's side. She wouldn't tell him why, only instructed that he shouldn't come back for more training until she herself summoned him to do so. She seemed in an oddly good mood, but, that didn't exactly mean she felt kind. In fact, she only smiled such as that, when something had appeased her.

She didn't make mention that Urd had personally sent a phone call regarding his immediate release of duty, but due to the murmurs in the halls, he knew the rare event did happen.

Eagerly, he wanted to see Belldandy, and to get rid of the soreness in his back from grueling warfare training. There were only so many times he could be pummeled with a spell, or set ablaze by his own lack of skill in fire magic. He may have had a lot to learn, and he wasn't anywhere near the capacity of the goddesses in his household, but he didn't mind.

Diligently training under Hild's dark wing was not an easy task, and he drank in the cool breeze of earth as soon as he escaped the unholy lands. The sight of Belldandy greeting him brought a smile to his face. He leaned heavily on the doorframe. "Today was hell. This battle practice is harder than it looks."

The demon before her, adorn with silk armor from the waist down, left his chest and arms bare most of the time while in the underworld. Most male demons were scantly clad, and a man of power who covered himself demurely was not a man to be heeded. Hild would not have her people mocking him, and insisted that he should grow accustom to everything her domain offered. Their customs were many, their practices older than could truly fathom.

"Well, I wouldn't presume many train with the likes of Hild as their aggressor." Belldandy told him simply. She greeted him with a kiss, and then took to offering him the top half of his robes, placing them onto his shoulders when he nodded his approval. "Keiichi, stay on earth for a while." She begged of him.

"Missed me?" He laughed gently, knowing the answer. He had missed her as well.

"That's a silly question." Belldandy told him, embracing him tightly. "I know that you've only been away a few days by your standard, but here, it's been several weeks." She sighed at feeling his remorse drip through the light that was his soul. "I've tried to call, many times in fact. The administration in charge of Nidhogg aren't very forthcoming about information."

"They denied your calls?" Keiichi asked pulling away from the embrace to look her in the eyes.

"I'm a goddess." Belldandy nodded. "It's only natural that they would be hesitant."

Keiichi frowned, an unhappy scowl falling across his once placid and calm features. "I'll talk with them." He decide, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "When I go back down there, I'll make it clear that they need to let me know when you're calling."

"No." She told him with a firm shake of her head. Talking was likely the last thing he would do. "Keiichi, please don't be cross with them. It's their job to regulate unholy shares. Surely goddesses would be met with adversity."

"I have a personal line." Quite dissatisfied, the demonic power within him found the news aggravating. Anger bubbled within him, but also a restlessness. "They should be forwarding your calls directly to me. If I happen to be unable to answer, they should be telling me. At the very least, they should be telling Hild that a goddess is calling." He sighed, wanting to go back down to hell to sort this mess out. "I'll deal with this later."

"That's enough." Belldandy told him firmly, bringing her hands to cup his face to get his attention. "No more, Keiichi." She nearly begged, trying to quell the rage she could feel within him. "Please don't be angry." She told him softly, her thumbs running over the red marks on his cheeks. "I don't like it when you become stern with others, so please, for my sake, don't be."

Her words made him calm down, at least a little. "Have it your way." He sighed when his scowl faded. "I'll let the matter drop." The demon gazed at Belldandy with gentle eyes. "But, if you want me to do something about it, let me know."

"I will." Belldandy told him with a nod.

"Where's Holybell?" He finally asked, wondering why he hadn't seen her yet. The angel was normally quick to pounce on him, and cling as if he were her very breath.

"I need her heavenly support. She will be unable to leave my body for a while." The mere thought of why made Belldandy smile. She wondered idly if he couldn't tell…Keiichi hadn't hatched his devil yet, so she thought he might not realize. "Keiichi, today is a day of celebration. I've been blessed with a child, my love."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

With the news of Belldandy's pregnancy, Keiichi was granted a pardoning from his rigorous training, in order to help support Belldandy during her emotionally trying time. A goddess's pregnancy was rather different from a mortal woman's, in that she didn't suffer from the usual ailments. Instead, she lacked power, and often, control over the elements of creation. During that time, it was up to the goddess's angel to provide support, and up to the father of the child to quell the overabundance of magical instability that the new life inadvertently brought.

Nine months seemed befitting for a normal woman, but the gestation was also the same for a goddess. Far too long, and yet, not nearly long enough, all at the same time.

The subsequent birth of the child was to be a private matter, held between the mother herself, and one other goddess. In heaven, men were kept well away from the birthing room. Keiichi paced up and down in his back yard, having been banished from the house. "I wish I knew how she was doing." He sighed, worriedly.

"Relax, she'll be fine." Hild replied, reclining on a tree branch, keeping the poor man company during such a time. "Goddess and demons are quite capable of doing without all of the necessities a mortal woman needs."

"Big sis is strong." Skuld agreed, sitting cross-legged on the rocks near the pond. "Besides, our mom is with her. If anyone knows how to welcome a safe birth, it's her."

"They're right." Urd sighed, leaning on the back door, keeping half an ear on the goings on. "Everything's going smoothly. If it wasn't, the influx of Belldandy's power would likely engulf the entire house and turn it to rubble."

"I still say he should be by Belldandy's side." Hild said quite unhappily. "I don't understand why all this ceremony is required." At the unhappy and confused glares she received, she frowned. "The father is perfectly capable of doing the same thing as any woman."

"Only if he has a devil." Skuld blurted. "Keiichi doesn't yet."

"He could swallow that egg at any time." Hild said to the girl. "However, I find it impedes a demon's training when an egg is swallowed before their power evens out." With a sigh, she looked down to the mortal man, who in her quite humbled opinion, looked to be having a nervous breakdown. "Keiichi, you don't have to listen to them…just waltz right in there, and be by her side, even if nothing else. The birth of an immortal life is quite unlike anything a mortal could imagine."

"Who asked you, anyway?" Urd shot back. "Belldandy is a goddess, first class. It's only right that she abide by heavenly laws, especially during childbirth." Urd studied her mother, an anger so deep lingered in the back of her mind, that Urd had no idea what to say to the woman. All she knew, was that she wanted Hild gone. "Why are you even here? This doesn't concern you."

"The infant will be born with demonic powers, as well as divine." Hild replied coolly. "I have every right to see the child until she chooses her side. Even then, she might choose to walk the path of her father, certainly you chose to do the same. It's entirely possible."

"Don't be stupid." Urd's indigent hiss came through her parted lips loud and clear. Her fists tightened, and she swallowed hard. She couldn't understand why, but the mere implication grated on her. "No child would ever choose to be a demon."

"Oh but they do." Hild told her, icily. "They do it all the time…you've met Xic…you know his story well, don't you Urd?" Hild knew she was sinking her teeth into a deeply painful topic, but, if Urd wanted to pick a fight, Hild wouldn't back down. "He chose the life of a demon, even if his parents were little more than heavenly bodies. They weren't part of my blackened winged kin, but he most certainly is."

"Am I missing something here?" Keiichi asked, stepping between the verbal warfare before it turned to something worse.

"My little Urd is merely concerned, Keiichi." Hild replied calmly to him. "You see, she thinks I'll taint your firstborn. She fails to realize, I'm unable to do that." Hild glared at Urd then. "If their baby is a demon in her future, it will only be because her heart wished it."

"If my niece becomes a demon, Hild, so help me…" Urd warned, though, she didn't really know what she could say to any of it. "So help me that I don't seek retribution."

"Urd." Hild replied, her words careful, and void of their usual maliciousness. "This child is a blessing from the heavens and hells, just as you are." She lowered herself from the tree she perched on, going to her daughter with only truth in her eyes. "I give you my word, upon my own throne." Hild told Urd, forcing her daughter to look at her. "I will not hurt that child, nor will I ever force her into a life she does not want."

The door slid open then, revealing a tired Anzasu, holding the infant in her arms. Behind her, Belldandy was floating in a dreamlike state as two angels supported her with their power. Keiichi knew one of them as Holybell, but the other had to have been Anzasu's own. "If the two of you are done with your bickering, it's time for the father to name his child."

Keiichi had been told of this ritual before, but now, holding the child in his arms, he found himself speechless. It seemed somehow wrong to choose a name on his own, without Belldandy's help, nor choice in the matter. Yet it was the heavenly doctrine to name the infant before the mother would wake. As he gazed upon Belldandy, he noticed she was so peaceful, bathed in the white purity of the heavens. A white silk cloth had been draped over her body for modesty's sake, but beyond that, she was as nude as the infant.

"Have you thought of a name?" Hild asked Keiichi quietly, as she came to stand behind him.

"It better be something good." Skuld replied, taking great interest in the bundle cradled in Keiichi's arms.

Keiichi turned to Hild. "I couldn't have said it better myself. She is a blessing, and I'm naming her after my sister because of that." Keiichi said as he closed his eyes, trying to recall the days of his youth. "Her name will be Megumi."

Anzasu offered a genuine smile at that. "A befitting name."

"Belldandy will approve, I'm sure of that." Urd said, recalling the woman fondly as a thought came to mind. "Elegance…" Urd called, to which her angel came without hesitation. "Go help and support Belldandy."

Not to be outdone, Skuld dove head first into the festivities as well. "Noble Scarlet, you too." It was laughable at best, because Skuld wasn't a very magically inclined goddess by nature, but it was the sentiment that mattered the most.

Hild was not unused to divine births, having witnessed Belldandy and Skuld being brought into the world, and having aided in it at Anzasu's behest. Still, it was quite the sight to behold. The communing of the angles was an event that sparked the largest ceremonies in heaven, and women in the family were often blessed by all of the goddesses who knew them.

"Angel's eggs can be made two ways. The first way, is when a god or a goddess passes on. Their angel's egg is left behind, awaiting rebirth by a kindred spirit." Hild said quietly. "The second way, is the way you see now. Now that the infant has been born, Holybell can now summon all of the power stored within her soul that went unused during Belldandy's pregnancy. When other angles join in and bless the power, an egg will form."

Having once aided in Belldandy's birth, it only seemed fitting to bless the birth of this infant that so required power. "Keiichi, as a demon, this is highly unorthodox, but, would you permit me to partake of this ritual?" Hild requested, moved by the sight, and by the raw power which it held. She doubted he would truly grasp the situation.

"You don't have to ask about something like that." Keiichi murmured still in awe.

Not finding the need to say any more, Hild closed her eyes, calling forth her devil without the vocal use of her name. The creature was well endowed, stunning, and frightening in its own way. Bathed in dark wisps of fire, she viewed the sights before her with unholy eyes that were a soft, steely grey. Yet, she was not without her own arsenal, gifted with fangs that implied a malicious bite and nails that could rend anything in their path. Her hair and wings were as black as at pitch, and though her completion was much darker than her master's own, a deep void perhaps, she seemed gentle.

It was with great care that she examined the infant in Keiichi's arms, and then at Urd, who visibly grew defensive at the sight of her. With a shake of her head, she returned to the task at hand, and went off to support the heavenly body with her own merciful powers. Finding her place beside World of Elegance, it was quite clear where Urd's angle got her looks from.

As purple light began to pour from the angel's hands, Hild looked to Anzasu. "Join me." The demon said to her long time good friend and companion. "We should sing."

…

As a father, and a doting lover, Keiichi knew he had to become stronger. It was something that he could feel, clawing at the inside of his soul. He often wondered if it was the egg around his neck that called to him, or if it was his responsibilities as a parent. Keiichi was unsure, but, he simply knew he had to continue to mold his powers, and his knowledge. He chose to work himself into near nothingness, endeavoring to prove that he would triumph, even though he was often warned not to push himself too hard, too fast.

His struggles paid off in full though, and it happened sooner than even he expected it would.

Keiichi stepped into the throne room, seeing the disciples that lined the hall startle at his entrance. Dresses in the finest silks, with his chest bare, Keiichi had several seals on his hands and arms. With a single band across the top of his forehead that held a shine brilliantly, he gathered respect as the protege he was. He stood in the doorway, much more powerful than he was before. "I've finally done it." He replied, tired, but accomplished.

"I didn't expect you'd attain anything less." Hild told him, knowing he'd achieved his first class license. She could tell by his raw power, but he wasn't a complete demon yet. The egg around his neck still sat there, and for the longest time, she taunted him with the mere idea of swallowing it. "Come, Keiichi." She ordered, indicating she wanted to go off to her private chambers that were on the other side of her throne, behind a concealed door.

Every demon he passed bowed to him, and he rolled his eyes at the gesture. He found it wasn't needed and try though he might, he couldn't seem to get them to stop. As his training had taught him, the best way to avoid unwanted attention was to hide in Hild's menacing shadow, so he followed her without thinking twice.

"Your training seems to have paid off." Hild replied coolly.

"Not yet." Keiichi said. "I'm still not strong enough." He replied, considering his power. "I'm not even one tenth your equal."

Hild took good humor in that. "You are also a fairly young demon." She told Keiichi. "In centuries, how old are you, now?"

"Two." Keiichi replied. "Nearly three."

Hild nodded. "If you had been born a demon, Keiichi, you would still be a child. The power you have is quite significant, considering that." The queen said, though, he was also quite correct, he was not nearly where she required him to be. "Just because you are a first class demon means nothing, you still have much to learn."

"More training, then?" He asked, wondering what sort of rigorous tutelage would befall him this time.

Hild took a seat on a luxuriously long sofa, and encouraged Keiichi to sit on the one across from her. On the table between them, a fine liquor sat, and she waved her hands around, poring the glasses with magic alone. "Today, you've completed what one would consider basic training. That is to say, there is nothing more I can teach you, until you've grown stronger." She pointed to the egg around his neck. "You are an uncanny pupil." She sipped on her drink, and smiled, beaming with an unusually large amount of pride. "There are not many who can complete their first class exam without the use of a devil's egg. The fact that you can, proves your potential." Then, she raised her glass. "I expect nothing less from my son."

Keiichi colored at the word. "Son?" He squeaked out. It was rare that Hild was able to embarrass him anymore, having seen a great deal of things that had warped his once innocent mind. There were, after all, only so many times one could step into the demon realm and retain the good fortune not to see particular things. "Um, isn't that a bit…" He looked away from her, laughing in discomfort alone.

"You are a fine demon, Keiichi." Hild told him. "A demon that chose to be of my ilk the very moment you decided to swallow that pill." She sipped at her drink in thought, before offering him a happy smirk, prideful and full of our own clout. "To have earned your first class license, I've decided to call you what you are."

"Is that really the right thing to do?" He asked carefully, trying to make his point without provoking her.

"You are my son, and heir to these lands." She waved her hand at the large onyx slab that covered her wall. "If Urd would accept me, I wouldn't have to live so vicariously. What is a mother to do, after all, when her own daughter rejects her." Upon it, the vision came of the family Keiichi had waiting for him. "Anyway, enough of that. You come to me now with urgency, and a problem." She told him knowingly. She could feel it in the air.

"I don't know if it's a problem, exactly." His reply was dripping with several emotions. None of them were good, and found themselves steeped in the pit of concern. It was a lost man, demon or not. "According to Urd, who's really mad, by the way…she says there's nothing that can be done about it."

Hearing the war in his voice, as if he brought conflicting news, she sat forward the slightest bit. "What is it, Keiichi?"

He couldn't deny that her care warmed him in some way. Hild was a motherly woman when allowed to be one, and he suspected she would spoil Urd rotten, if Urd would give her half the chance. He had never called someone his mother before, not even the human woman who had birthed him. Yet, for Hild, it seemed befitting. Perhaps it was his demon heart, gifting reverence to the one who had given him great strength, and a much longer life.

He had indeed come with a problem, but, her favor towards him eased his mind, even if only a little. "If I were to take the egg into my soul now, how powerful would I become?" Keiichi asked, accepting the drink as a renewal of power he sorely needed.

"An interesting question to pose. One that I am quite frankly, unsure about." Hild said, contemplating that for a moment. "Who could say really?" She offered him a nod either way. "It would make you more powerful, no doubt. However, controlling that power is a skill that comes from within, and so too, does the ability to captivate those who wish to see their true innermost self."

He nodded at that, he could cast spells of destruction so terrible, it could become his own undoing. Raising his hand, touching his forehead, he felt the warmth of his power. The markings on his face were red, the color of a demon. They had colored his face when he first began training, and he thought it was the norm.

Little he knew of the truth, he was a rare case. Today, he had held his baby girl in his arms, and her markings had appeared. "Mom…" He said quietly, a fear at the edge of his voice. "My daughter is a demon, like myself."

"Urd was born with red markings too, that doesn't mean anything." Hild told him, knowing why exactly he lamented so. "Megumi's upbringing, as well as her heart, will ultimately decide for her." Hell was no place for a child of mixed blood. Heaven wasn't any better judgmentally, but, they were at least less violent about it. "While Megumi is a baby, it will likely change based on her mood. As she gets older, she'll have to decide for herself just what she truly wishes. That desire will force a dominant power."

"You mean like Urd." He said then, knowing she chose to be a goddess in her heart of hearts.

"You are fortunate to raise your child on earth." Hild said while nodding, putting her glass onto the table with a sigh. "She will not be discriminated, at least not based on her power or guardian star." With slow, careful steps, she got up and went over to a personal cabinet of hers that she kept tightly sealed, and for good reason. It contained the last of Urd's childhood. The cabinet was a shrine in many ways, a capsule of what would never find a use again. "You'll want this." Hild said, coming back with a container of a pungent oil. "It may help to interfere."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Demons had to lose something. A void had to be in their heart. It had to linger, smoldering within the pit of their soul. Demons were loathsome creatures because they bathed in their turmoil. They were also quite vengeful, and quick to temper.

There were clauses to every rule, and it wasn't exactly uncommon for a perfectly happy immortal child, to be a demon. It was especially true if one parent, or both, bathed in demonic power, and carried demonic blood. Many adult gods and goddesses who couldn't stand heaven's way of running things, often they chose to side with Hild and have their programs rewritten.

The same, inevitably, could be said for demons who chose heaven's grace.

Being a hybrid, however, wasn't very common. Babies were often changed by their codes, forced to be one, or the other. There were very few who had the ability to say they were both at once. Urd was one, of what she considered to be a very scorned few. Hild had never rewritten her programming while she was still in her mother's womb, and so even as a goddess, Urd was still also one of the demons that plagued the dreams of many. She would balance the paths of light and dark for her entirety of life.

Urd sighed at that, because Belldandy had also chosen for her child to be born the same way. A baby that was not quite demonic, and yet, fated never to be a goddess of first class. The baby was damned, due to her very nature. Lying was far too tempting when demonic blood danced in one's veins. "You should have just chosen for her to be a goddess." Urd sighed. "It would have been easier."

"She has a right to choose." Belldandy replied, nursing the baby in her arms. She was a new mother, nothing would bring her down...nothing at all, would destroy her peace at the moment. The infant suckled without a peep, her tiny eyes, that had turned brown, opening and closing as if trying to decided if she wanted to stay awake, or fall asleep. "I won't take that away from her, she is her very namesake."

Urd wasn't eased by that. "I don't know how you can be so calm about it." Urd said to Belldandy as she sipped on some sake. "Hild is nothing but trouble. She's even got Keiichi calling her weird names." Urd shivered. "It's disgusting."

"Hild dotes on Keiichi, and I think he really needs that." Belldandy was the picture of serenity, her voice soft and sweet. "It can't be easy for him, knowing that even you don't like his nature."

"It isn't that." Urd replied, hesitant to regard him as what he was. Her voice was strangled by the well of doubt that clouded her mind. "I don't like the implication of what it means for the future."

"We don't govern the future, Urd." Belldandy's eyes were on the baby, her thoughts echoing without her thinking it. "We merely walk the paths that are given to us. Keiichi chose his, and I've chosen is the embodiment of that choice." Though the child was several years old by a mortal standard, she was still just an infant. After she was born, to keep her safe from prying eyes, they'd up-heaved the shrine home Keiichi and the rest of them so loved, and planted it in a remote area. As such, they had no one close by. "I will not dictate her path so blindly. I ask that you refrain from trying to do the same."

No one but flora and fauna…and of course, the occasional passing goddess or demon. It was the safest place, for a child like Megumi...but, Urd was unsure if it would offer protection for an eternity that was far too long. "I'm not trying to take away her choices." Urd rebuked, brushing her fingertips over the baby's short black hair. "I just know what your daughter will face. No matter what the two of you choose to do about it, she won't stay on earth forever." Urd poured herself another drink, before voicing her true worries. "She also won't have the luxury of having the both of you in her life forever, either."

Belldandy smiled sadly at her sister. "I know. That's why I'm hesitant to choose for her." She nodded, licking her lips, overwhelmed by the thought of what the future would bring. "There isn't a single day that her father and I don't worry for her, and her future. There is not a moment that I don't pray for her happiness." She reached over to the oil that her lover had brought home. "Keiichi said this oil was the same oil that Hild used on you as a baby."

"If she didn't tell him what she did to it, I would obliterate it if I were you." Urd mumbled before snatching it up. She undid the lid, and took a careful whiff. "It doesn't smell of foul play, but that's all the more reason to throw it out."

"That's enough, Urd." Belldandy chided, collecting some oil on the pad of her thumb. "Keiichi would never bring anything home that could hurt the baby." She thumbed it over the infant's marks. When she did, the once demonic markings turned heavenly. "See, it won't do her any harm." Belldandy said softly.

It was with a stifled curse that Keiichi finally joined the goddesses. "I didn't think it would." Having finally finished his bath and ritual, he'd wrapped himself in a robe, and joined the conversation. "Hild told me that anointing our baby in oil, will help to influence the power in her soul." He grabbed the bottle of Urd's sake, having finished his own, and took a deep swing, making note that soon he would need to buy more.

"Heavenly oil will sway her to be a goddess, and demonic oil will sway her to become a demon." Belldandy told him, surprised when the normally quiet child began to fuss in her arms unhappily. "I haven't been using any, because I don't feel it necessary." Then like the goddess she was, and the mother she expected herself to be, she looked to Keiichi for guidance. He was the child's father, and his word would be law, if he so chose. "If you think we should, I'll do it daily."

He rolled his eyes, and ignored the clear question that lingered in her eyes. "To be honest, I don't really know one way or the other." Keiichi took his baby from Belldandy, holding her in what seemed like forever, even if it had only been a few days. "Hey Meg." He said, greeting the tired baby. "Have you been good for your mother while I was away?" The infant opened her eyes to look at him before giving a yawn and snuggling into him. Instantly, her markings changed back to the red color they were before.

He looked to the eldest Norn. "Urd, you're the one who's lived through this, what do you think about the oils?"

Urd bit her lip, and paused. "When I decided I wanted to be a goddess, I was still a child. I was very young, but, it came so natural to me." Urd explained, putting a hand over her heart. "I knew I wanted to be one, and have an angel of my very own. I wanted her to have white wings, and I wanted to be just like Belldandy." Urd shook her head. "But, even though I wanted to be a goddess, I couldn't get rid of my demonic side." Urd didn't like seeing those red markings on her niece, but she took them as a possible outcome.

It wasn't the answer he had been looking for. "It's dangerous down in the bowels for a child of mixed blood." He said then, looking to Belldandy. "Should we even allow her that choice?"

"We can't choose for her, now that she's been born." Belldandy shook her head. "We don't have that power anymore, but, if you want me to try to sway her to the heavens, I can certainly try my best."

Urd looked at that oil, wondering if it was a gift from the heavens...a gift her mother had placed atop her forehead...she was unsure, but felt as if somehow, the oil was that of the gods...blessed by holy light. "She may desire black wings, and a devil of her own." It was then, that a painful truth struck her. "No matter what she wants to be, the other side of herself will still be there. Her angel will reflect that dual nature."

"I've decided..." Keiichi said then, finally coming to his decision. "We'll let her decide on her own. We will not interfere."

…

Urd couldn't help it, her mind toyed with her. She tried to think of all the times she would gaze in awe of her mother's pure demonic power. She forced herself to recall all that made her tremble in fear. She pulled up old, bitter memories, remembering the sights and sounds of the pain a demon could cause. Hild's powers were awesome, and frightening. She couldn't imagine wanting to live that life, but, she also knew her heart was made to be a goddess.

That oil worried her. Urd wondered if she had been swayed by Hild's decision...and yet, she couldn't deny, she feared that the red marking would one day engulf her own she would one day live out her mother's prophecy, and return to hell...and then a new fear crept up.

The idea that her niece would desire the same destruction that a demon would, made her heart lurch in horrible ways. She could both hear, and feel when the infant began to kick up fuss, and looked at the clock. The late hour indicated she was looking for either food, or an angel's presence nearby. "Can't you leave that poor child alone?" Urd barked, she was left alone to babysit, and the visitor was unwelcome.

"I promised you, I wouldn't force the child to live a life she didn't want to lead." Hild said calmly, as she sat in the rocking chair, easing the baby back to sleep. "I didn't say I would hide like a monster under her bed. That I would shackle her, without her own voice in the matter." With that, she lifted her eyes to meet Urd's own. "You're the only one in this house, who's terrified of me for no good reason."

Urd could see the markings of a goddess on the baby's face. "Give her to me, now." Urd said all too quickly. "That's the first time she's retained the markings of a goddess in months, it should stay that way."

"A heart with misfortune, will gift misfortune." Hild told Urd, not relinquishing the baby in her arms. "If you want the baby to be a goddess, her heart must be full of the love and acceptance required of one." She capped the oil she had used only a few moments before. "You are a goddess, because you were blessed by the love of many, and your heart found good fortune within itself, blessed by your guiding star." She smiled down at the little one, feeling the immature powers within struggle for dominance. "You were anointed in oils given to me by your father, because he could not be there for you."

Hild's devil bestowed the child with unearthly light, and Urd closed her eyes, a sigh falling from her lips. "You've already taken Keiichi, why are you so adamant about taking Megumi too?"

"I have no such intention." Hild spoke only the truth, even if Urd couldn't believe it. "I merely came to visit the child, that's all Urd. I may do some sinful things, however, I would never harm a creature so innocent." Though she refused to look her Urd in the eye, knowing she would only see contempt, she couldn't deny that is was a good pretense. Her time spent with Urd, though tense and full of bitterness, were worth it anyway. The true reason for her visit was not the baby, but the goddess who had become a woman in all too short of a time. "You are loved, so very deeply." Hild said ambiguously.

She doubted Urd felt the same…but to Hild's surprise, Urd sighed.

"I know." The goddess said in a hushed murmur. "That's why I can't understand why you weren't there when I needed you the most."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Malcontent dripped like an ichor trough his veins.

When a person experienced longevity, the idea of change became disruptive. It was a concept that many would not understand, and also one that as a demon, Keiichi simply forgot about entirely. To say that protocol became lost on him, wouldn't justify the whims that had been so put into motion roughly three centuries and two decades ago. He was a demon with a family, and, a future. He was not stern, as most demon males were, yet, he was also not as placid as he used to be.

His brown eyes that were once soft and gentle, became slightly more forthright…he was beginning to view his actions with a sense of meaning. Behind each and every whim he seemed to have, he would rip to shreds the actual motive, weighing his choices. Calculating them, cutting losses and seeking gains wherever he could. Truly that was mark of a demon, the build of of the red seals. The acrid view of such creatures seemed horrible.

Yet, his were not. He was a docile demon…at least, when he wanted to be. At the moment, however, he felt his generosity in the matter wearing paper thin. He sighed as he listened to the other demons around him prattle on, it was his daily life, but he didn't take fondly to it. He saw no need for their abrasive ways, yet still, he did as he was bid.

"If they want a fight, let's give them a fight!" Thrym growled, excited to start a war at any chance she got.

"Well, bloodshed might be just a little crass." Hagall smirked. "However, we can start a good bit of trouble on earth…send holy shares into the ground. Make our point, and hold earth over heaven's head."

"That's a little dimwitted for you, Hagall." One of the normally quiet voices made herself known. "You are not one to follow Thrym's plans willingly." Of the several demons present among large pillars, it was one particularly eerie demon, cloaked in her own inward void of nothingness that sighed, just as Keiichi had done. "Lady Hild, I request the floor."

"Halval?" Hild asked, sitting a little upright in her seat. "What is it?" She asked.

"I speak on behalf of caution." Halval said then, her voice echoing in her own nothingness that so concealed her. "Mara seemed to have provoked Lind, a combative goddess that would put even Thrym's skills to shame." Very few demons knew what she looked like, but, her offensive powers were like that of a cloak and dagger. "We five that so serve you with our keen, if not odd powers, are strong. However, even we have limitations, especially up on earth." She could kill in that deep void, and Halval was nothing if not careful.

"A good point to be made." Hild nodded. She turned to Hagall, searching the often brazen young beauty before her. It was an interesting notion, one that Hild already considered. She knew well, Hagall was cunning, but often so blind to the greater picture around them. Truly a first rate demon, in the sense of what a demon was...however, that didn't promise satisfactory results. "Do you think, Hagall, that you could issue a proper fight, given the state of creation as it is?" Hild asked her, a twinkle of mirth in her eyes.

Hagall laughed at that. "I think we are highly underestimated by the heavens. To that end, in a show of force, I think we would find ourselves a quick victory." Hagall said then crossing her arms. "We are powerful, and we are also not bound so tightly by particular rules." The young woman was almost too confidant. "We can forgo platitudes that would otherwise stagnate creation."

"You have no idea just who you're picking a fight with, do you?" Keiichi muttered, a little green at that. "I know these goddesses, Hagall. They'll break the rules if they want to."

"What's the matter, is the little demon afraid?" Hagall hissed, not enjoying the scrutiny that Keiichi seemed to put on her. He was the youngest among the group, no doubt. She didn't take kindly to her own kind lacking respect, as she was the second strongest demon to date, and would likely claim such a role for centuries to come. "Come on Keiichi, man up! We're demons, we do this kind of thing."

Hild was bored, so she glanced over to where her pupil stood. "Keiichi, you're the only one where who hasn't issued a possible solution to this mess. Please give one now, or I'll have to smite you where you stand." Hild told him coolly. "You know the rules."

In his third century of life, Keiichi swallowed his devil's egg, and grew immensely in power. He thought that he might share a close bond, such as the type of relationship that Belldandy had with Holybell. As it turned out, devils were more aloof, and less willing to simply do as their master wished. It took no small amount of control, and because of that, he couldn't say he appreciated his devil running free.

If anything, it made him understand the devious nature within his own heart.

Without someone to keep the trouble making deity at bay, the spawn of evil knew no bounds. The deity floated behind Keiichi, chained to his master due to willpower alone. The devil wasn't happy, but his master was also just as discontented. The creature growled, though only Keiichi, and the other devils around could hear him. His master shushed him, before sighing.

It was finally his turn to speak, and he required his devil to be on his best behavior.

"To be fair, Mara's known to cause trouble." Keiichi shrugged. "We should go into this as amicably as possible. If we have to come to an agreement anyway, why not appeal to heaven on this one…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "To be honest, I don't think I can offer you a good choice. I do know that starting trouble on earth, is as good as a one way ticket into a sealing medium for ourselves."

"She's still our kin." Hagall blathered, annoyed by his words. "Heavens been known to make unfair trades. Mara need us to make a decisive move, and what better way than earth?"

"All I'm saying is that heavenly shares aren't our major risk at the moment. We can do without Mara for a little while. What we can't deal with, is losing face with heaven's council." Keiichi said, exasperatedly. "Picking fights with them over Mara, will only make us look like complete idiots." He made it a point to easily sling his words around the large, and grand conference hall. "Earth is stable, we should keep it that way."

"You also live with goddesses." Hagall pointed out, on the other end of the conference hall. "One could say that you are defending your own interests. Isn't that just a bit questionable?"

"You aren't doing the same?" Keiichi shot back. "You're an extremist, you'd go to any length, even when it isn't needed. Brute force won't get us anywhere. Besides, causing havoc on earth just to prove a point, may very well get on Urd's bad side…not to mention Belldandy, Skuld, and Anzasu…just think of what might happen if they called Lind down for a real fight." Keiichi's eyes cut over to Hild. "I'm loyal to my family, above all else." Keiichi said then, not wavering in his words.

"As expected." Hild nodded. "I would never question where your loyalties stay." She knew his implication well. It was much less a threat, and more than pure fact…and, his words of warning to Hagall were true too. "What about you, Hagall?"

"My loyalty should never come into question either." Hagall stated haughtily. "I'm offering my decision out of my desire to have Mara released as soon as possible. Nothing should come in the way of that."

"What a bitch." Keiichi sighed, rolling his eyes. "If you get sealed, I'll be the first in line to laugh my ass off."

Hild willed away her mild annoyance from the bickering. It was all too common when meetings were held within the bowels. Hild had her eyes and ears everywhere, but even she didn't think herself perfect. She was the single, most solitary ruler, in all of that which she owned. No one could question her vocal authority on any matter. Still, even if she made all of the decisions, she still found it within reason to seek council on more complicated matters at hand. It gave her people hope, after all, to know she actually listened to their words…even if she didn't heed their advice beyond that.

Only her strongest, and most loyal demons could speak...and indeed, they had spoken.

It was an act she took pride in. Not entirely a show for nobles and powerful loyalists...yet, it wasn't as if she actually believed all of the tripe that spewed from their mouths, either. This, was merely a formality, and it was one that kept her demons from running amok. A little headache now, was superior to a full scale war later. "I believe I've heard quite enough." Hild said quietly, hushing the room with her smoky sigh.

"You've reached a decision?" Hagall asked, a bit hesitant to find out.

"This is not the first time I've received a notice regarding Mara." Hild began slowly. "Furthermore, I would bet that I will also hear about this matter again in the future." With a shake of her head, she cursed Mara's incompetence. "We have to negotiate, that is the law. I also think strong actions are invaluable to our cause." With a sigh, she snapped her fingers, producing a handwritten scroll. "Still, Keiichi is right. We've no need to provoke the ire of such a willful bunch of goddesses. I don't desire to imbalance the unholy shares."

She flicked the hand written letter to Hagall, who took a firm hold of it. "Take this message to the offices, and see that it reaches Anzasu or Belldandy." Then Hild stretched and stood, lazily accepting that she had only a little time to decompress, but needed it anyway. "We're adjourned until Hagall gets back. Stay on point for when I require you all again."

Hundreds of demons and their devils murmured in the distance, and Hild stood at her place, Keiichi at her side, until all of them had left. It had been a lengthy meeting, but, it was far from over…negotiations had only just begun, as was the way of creation.

…

The third century was a lonely one...

Keiichi was one of the highest ranking demons in social status, and had taken to attending the administrative meetings often held at Hild's behest. At the same time, he also began to learn the encrypted files that only Hild had access to open. She would go over the details with him slowly, and taught him meticulously. The dark powers he knew never to question were now opening up, and becoming his answers. The power and truths were raw, but he drank them in without hesitation, loving the rush it brought to him.

Belldandy received the call from her father in that same century, and she also received her personal training from her parents. Named as Tyr's successor, her already renowned name was given even more praise by those who knew her. As a result of her obligation to training, she'd spent less time on earth, where her daughter stayed, eagerly awaiting her parents to come home.

Skuld, who was also undergoing training, was not taking as easily to her lessons as her father might have liked. It was her lack of magical skill that hindered her, and he knew this, but, he would not bring Urd up from earth. Skuld was unfit for the line of work. The law offices required that their people were both mechanically savvy, and magically inclined...who better to call than Urd? Yet, Skuld was the one who persisted at her father's order, instead of taking a far different job that she undoubtedly would be more suited to.

Urd was the one who stayed on earth. She was the one who gave love to an innocent child, when no one else could gift the infant such a thing. Having brought up her sisters, the role came easily to her. It brought back old, but welcomed memories. Urd lamented for the little one, worried for her every waking moment, and greeted nightmares in the depths of sleep.

Megumi was such a small child. She could not understand the reasons behind the motivations that kept her parents away. She wasn't alone in her confusion, but, she was the only one outspoken about it. Her aunt watched over her, protected her, and raised her, when the child's parents could not...but, Urd was no replacement for Belldandy and Keiichi.

A routine had set in, and it was one that wouldn't likely change anytime soon.

"Da?" The little girl asked every single morning. After finding a way to climb out of her crib, or at the very least, screeching until Urd let her out, she made her loneliness known. She'd toddle to her parent's bedroom and sit at the door. "Ma?" She squawked, praying that someone might hear her.

"Not today." Along with that rather heartbreaking scene, Urd had to speak the negative, often scooping the little girl into her arms. It was so like heaven to expect Belldandy to be away from her only child. Urd knew from experience that it wasn't uncommon, but she hated the idea anyway. "Want something to eat?"

"Grrrm." Megumi was old enough now that her feelings were reflecting her powers. A shake to the head, disliking anything, also came with its own issues. Little red markings on her face would begin to softly glow, and an inevitable shock came with it.

Urd was immune to the infinitely weak electricity that the child seemed to attuned to, but she smoothed out the girl's long flowing hair anyway, before doing the same with her own. "You should eat something." Urd replied, dissolving the electric field without batting an eye. "Mommy isn't coming home today, you can't wait for her cooking."

The child, who seemed to have a tendency to retain her demonic markings most of the time, stuck her fingers into her mouth. She shook her head again, a deep scowl forming before the tears even had a chance. She pulled her hand out of her mouth, but Urd knew right away, no good was going to come from it. "Da!" She squealed, as if, somehow her father might hear her.

Urd winced. "Daddy isn't here either. Want pancakes?" She asked, thinking of the very few hot meals she could actually cook without conjuring anything.

"Rrrrmm." At the unhappy growl, stifled by her hand again, her seals glowed a brilliant red. It came complete with another electric wave. Megumi's power was easily drawing energy from the area around her. "Ma…" Megumi ordered, as if she thought Urd was lying.

"Mommy's working." Urd finally sighed, trying desperately to think of someone she could bother, seeing as the child was so lonely here on earth. Any goddess would have to come down from heaven for a visit...a child with red seals wouldn't be permitted to simply wander about heaven freely. "How about Peorth?" Megumi cocked her head in confusion of the name, and Urd smiled at the child in her arms. "You remember Peorth, right?" Urd went on to say, taking the child to a set of pictures. "This goddess?"

A frown made her face crinkle in displeasure. She didn't much like that goddess. Instead her eyes were drawn to a woman that was appealing to her. "Debil?" The child asked then, whilst preoccupied with her fingers. With her free hand, so pointed to a picture that Belldandy insisted keeping on the mantle.

"You can't visit Hild, or any other demon for that matter. Taking kindly to a devil is also out of the question." Urd frowned, carrying the child into the kitchen. "You'll just have to wait until daddy comes home." She put the toddler in the highchair, mostly to keep her out of trouble, poured a few cereal bits into a bowl and gave it to her. "Have a snack. I'm making pancakes and eggs, so just sit tight." She said, tapping at the bowl.

Megumi watched as Urd tied an apron around herself, and cocked her head to the side. "Hrrm." She put a small bit of cereal into her mouth, crunching on it loudly. "Gance!"

"Now that can be accomplished." Urd said rolling her eyes, knowing that young immortals often sought the attention of angles and devils, rather than their masters. "Elegance, keep Megumi company please." She asked of her angel, before sighing and getting to work. Cooking was never her strong suit, but the act in and of itself was a normalcy for Megumi, since Belldandy did it all the time. The routine was all that Urd was hoping for, though she could admit, not burning things would also be nice.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: This is a horrible internect connection that I'm using at the moment, and my connection keeps timing out. Sadly, this won't be fixed any time soon, I'm going to have to just bear with it. I hope this chapter isn't too painful to read, considering how many times my connection has timed out on me while trying to edit and save this chapter...it has literally taken me since Friday.

**Chapter 17**

Urd watched, waited, and cursed the heavens and the hells both.

She looked after Megumi with all of her heart, praying for the little girl with brown eyes, black hair, and red seals. During the rare time that everyone was together, there was no talk of heaven or hell. There was no mention of contracts, nor the system force.

Only the rare gift that earth seemed to bring them. For those short and all too fleeting intervals, all was right with the entire universe, and even Skuld would come down from her own job training to partake of the family she so longed to have back in one piece. A visit every now and then did her heart a world of good.

Even though Skuld would never admit it, she was thankful to have Belldandy in heaven so much. Yet, even so, she couldn't wait for the trips to earth. Her travels were sporadic at best, and she could honestly say, she missed the once so simple days, that earth had given her. She would not find love on earth, but she would find a home that was protected from even heaven's scrutiny. That didn't mean everything was perfect, and there was one thing that troubled Skuld, even if she wouldn't outwardly admit it.

Keiichi was starting to hunger as a demon would, and craved many things.

He was a darker, angrier man, because of it. Still, there was nothing more desirable than time well spent with is family. Keiichi would go to great lengths for it, and caused many to flee in terror when he was a man denied of his desires. He would not hesitate to make his unhappiness his utmost strength. Hild took great amusement in it, because such a time proved that even Keiichi, for all of his subdued nature, wasn't above pointedly making his displeasure known.

Keiichi suspected that now was one of those rare times when Hild decided to harass him, in her own little way. "If I want your opinion, Xic, I'll ask for it." He commanded. "I don't care how much it troubles her, I'm going to earth."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound disloyal to you, Keiichi." Xic bowed, inwardly sighing at great length. "However, her highness, our very own grace, has requested that you attend the next meeting. Please don't provoke her. She's unsettled as it is." The young demon blocked his path, and Keiichi wasn't in the mood to humor Hild's young ward. "I beg of you."

"Xic!" With Keiichi's thunderous shout, so too came a great bolt of thunder that Xic had to dodge. "I will decide what is best for myself. I have chosen to go to earth. If Hild wants to stop me, she will do it herself." Of that he knew, he could feel her presence from beyond the throne room door. If she so badly wanted him to be at the next meeting, she would have personally ordered it, but, he was not bound by her chains it seemed.

In fact, he could almost hear the problematic snickering, as if she'd made a copy of herself. One glance at a nearby wall fixture confirmed his suspicions. He half wondered if she was perched at the edge of the crown molding for her own benefit, or to protect Xic, should the lad need it. "I'm going up to see the family." He told Hild then, inwardly grousing the entire time. "Call me if you need me."

"Go on, go on…" She said, still smirking at him, waving him away with his hand. Xic had wisely chosen to hide behind the nearest sofa he found. "I can do without you around for a little while." The gag was over, and she materialized herself to full form, the boy running behind her almost instantly. "I'll be sure to visit."

"Urd will love that." He said, but didn't linger. In his next move, he cast his teleportation spell that would sent him to the place he called home.

Hild looked down at the boy that shook in fear. "Xic, Keiichi wouldn't harm you." She told him, but the young one didn't seem convinced.

"He is strong." The boy said, thankful that his glasses concealed the fear that had been in his eyes. "Too strong, too soon."

Hild eyed the boy, with just a hint of a smirk. "I believe you fit that category more than Keiichi." She told him, holding out her hand. "Come along, Xic. We have preparations to make."

...

Keiichi landed deftly on a rock that had a gate engraved into it, a landing point of sorts. Belldandy also had a gate to the heavens on the premises for her travel with at convince. He went to the mirror in question, but it had not been used, he could tell because thee was no magic left other. Nothing from her presence to indicate she had returned. He also couldn't feel her angel, meaning that Belldandy was still someplace in heaven. The portal would ensure quick transit, but only if the person attempting to use it lacked her full strength.

He worried himself for a moment, pondering if she had decided to nap before arriving home.

"Da!" Before he could even turn around to greet his toddling child, she'd already attached to his leg, trying to scale him as if he were the tree outside.

With gentleness he only possessed for very few in his life anymore, he scooped the child up into his powerful arms. "Hello Megumi." He told her, fixing the long hair of hers, pulling it out of her eyes. "Did your mother come home yet?" He asked the little girl.

She paused, cocking her head to the side, stuffing a few fingers in her mouth while shaking her head. "Hrmmm." With her other hand, she gripped his shoulder looking at his back, trying to find someone who wasn't there. "Debel?" She growled with a frown, her fingers stifling her words.

"Devil." Keiichi corrected, gently pulling her fingers out of her mouth, he shook his head. It was a bad habit, and he was trying to get her to break it, to no avail. "Not right now." Keiichi told his little girl. "He's sleeping, we've had a long day." With his power thoroughly drained, he meandered his way into the house. Due to his nature, they had to keep plenty of liquor on hand, especially since he shared a large quantity with Urd. When he reached the kitchen, he was elated to see Urd had already fished out a new bottle for him. "Thanks." He said with a grin, taking it in his free hand, and guzzling it. "Ah, nothing beats that."

"Tell me about it." Urd sipped hers much more slowly, but, she also hadn't lost much of her power through the day. "Hard day in the bowels?" She asked, speaking about the admin offices in particular.

"Well, not hard, exactly." He said tiredly. "Another day, another pain in the ass gets sealed." It was so normal to him now, he didn't even bat an eye. Urd didn't expect that he would, but she could tell, this particular time was stressful on him. "I was stuck dealing with demonic council."

"Mine." Megumi reached for the bottle in her father's hand, but he held up, and far away from her reach. "Da, mine!"

"Megumi." He growled at her low in his voice. "No. This isn't for kids."

"Mine!" She shouted, sending an impromptu bolt of electricity from her fingertips.

Keiichi sighed when the bottle shattered all over him, his drink of choice dousing himself, his daughter, and the floor. "I knew that was going to happen." He groused, snapping his fingers to correct the issue. "Evil little bugger, aren't you?" He muttered under his breath as she giggled. "No, Megumi, that's not funny." He told her, putting his drink on the table. "Mommy would be sad if you did evil things like that."

"Rrrmmm." The child growled, as if entirely confused. "Ma?" She shoved her fingers in her mouth again with a scowl. She knew whenever her father came home, her mother was sure to follow, but there was no sign of the much sought after woman. She looked to Urd, and her drink, and then back at her father. Taking her hand out of her mouth, she pointed at Urd's glass next. "Mine." She said again, as if she understood perfectly well what they were drinking.

"When you're older." Urd told the child, before pulling a potion she'd made out of the refrigerator. "Drink this instead."

"What's that?" He asked, watching Megumi take great delight in the sippy-cup.

"Oh, just a concoction I used to drink when I was little. Has the same power regenerating effect, without the drunken stupor to follow." Urd shrugged. "Though, she is a demon, so a little booze watered down can't really hurt her. In fact, she's going to start craving it soon, though it appears she already has." At Keiichi's disapproving frown, Urd digressed, returning to the topic at hand. "So, there was another sealing." She took a mild interest, but just like Keiichi, she knew the score. "Who was it this time?" It was so common, that it literally was just a mild annoyance for most.

"Mara." Keiichi shrugged. "She picked on the wrong applicant." He put his drink to his lips again, his thirst something awful. "Something about monopolizing demonic shares. Currently, she's stuck someplace inside a museum. We weren't told her exact location."

"Not that again." Urd shook her head.

"Happened before, huh?" Keiichi asked, already taking a good guess.

"About every few hundred years." Urd waved her hand dismissively. "She tries to put a bit of misfortune over any idiot who somehow manages to get good fortune. Sometimes, she goes too far, and picks on a goddess help line applicant." Urd shrugged, munching on a bit of the granola she had sitting around. Urd didn't particularly like it, but her laziness prevented her from getting anything better. Chasing a small demon around the house day after day wasn't exactly an easy thing to do. "Mara was annoying, but when you were a human, she didn't do anything worth sealing her over…normally goddesses don't bother trying anymore."

"She got on Lind's bad side then." Keiichi groused, once again trying to avert his sake bottle from grabby little hands. "Lind's the one who sealed her and ordered the paperwork to be sent over." He looked at his daughter again. "I said no, Meg."

"Rrr." Megumi didn't back down. "Mine…" She scowled she shoved her fingers back into her mouth.

That got Urd laughing. "That's one hell of a fight to pick." Keiichi wasn't sure if Urd was speaking about Mara or the child in his arms, but he rolled his eyes anyway.

"A stupid one." Keiichi agreed anyway, pretending at least, it was about the demon who'd been sealed. "Hild likes having Mara around, so we're going to be opening up negotiations soon."

"Correction, you already have." Belldandy said, putting her purse down in the hall.

"Maaaaaaaaaa!" Megumi screeched in both joy and frustration. She couldn't go running to the woman she'd been waiting for. When Keiichi put her down, Megumi went rushing towards her mother, tripping along the way, though she didn't seem to mind.

Belldandy appeased the child quickly, picking her up, before she could make any more of a fuss. "We just received word." Belldandy tried to keep her daughter from climbing around, but, if little demons were known for one thing, it was ruckus. It wasn't any question just who she was looking for, and she was hell bent to find her, even if she had to climb over her mother's shoulder to find her. Thankfully, Holybell caught Megumi before she could worm out of her mother's grasp.

Belldandy just sighed, shaking her head, with a soft smile. "Be careful, little one." She said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "You wouldn't want to fall."

"Hagall finally got to you guys, huh?" Keiichi shook his head.

Belldandy was quite drained herself, her own tired image mirroring Keiichi's own, and she stifled a yawn. She'd likely fall asleep before too much longer, if she had her way. "Hild decided to honor Lind's two year grace period request, for the assault of a human's good fortune…but we still need to decide if Mara will be released immediately after, or if we will give her a proper sentencing."

"What's the point?" Urd rolled her eyes. "It's not like she ever learns anything."

"True, but if we don't at least play by the rules, we might get another bug in the system." Keiichi said. "Enough of that for now. We should enjoy our time as a family. Everything will probably still be in disarray when we get back to our posts."

…

All of his favorite meals were placed before him in bountiful amounts. Belldandy had sure gone to a lot of trouble. Seeing him off to his bath, preparing dinner, and even being sure to stock the pantry with plenty of household favorites, as well as extra little luxuries. He felt guilty that she'd gone to so much trouble, but then he realized, she wanted to do such a thing. He looked at her with a smile, and accepted that she was trying to fulfill her own desires, just as much as she was trying to meet his own.

He ate his meals with gratitude, making casual conversation. "So, Skuld couldn't make it back this time?" Keiichi asked at the dinner table, bringing some rice up to his lips as the goddesses made their lament known.

"Afraid not." Belldandy said with a small frown. "She wanted to come down with me very badly, but Lind required her assistance."

"That's too bad." Keiichi relented, not bothering to ask any further questions. Belldandy wouldn't be able to answer them anyway, if it had to do with Yggdrasil.

"Being attached to Lind for a bit will do the brat some good." Urd said with a shrug. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Yet, worry they did. Both of them. Keiichi didn't comment on it, continuing to eat his dinner, before the feelings in the room became very difficult to bear. He put down his chopsticks with great meaning, and cleared his throat. "Go get Skuld." He finally said then, as if his words were law. "We can't be the family we're meant to be without her."

"They won't so easily release her from her duties. Things have gotten busy recently." Belldandy said, feeling warmed by his intentions anyway. "Father is very stubborn when it comes to his decisions on the matter."

"I don't really care what he thinks. If they don't do what I ask, they'll be in trouble." Keiichi said without particular regard to the gods that he so opposed. "One little phone call is all it would take. Hild would be more than happy to help stir up a ruckus. You know how she enjoys harassing Tyr."

Urd choked on her sake. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I think that's a bit extreme." Belldandy agreed, with a tinge of concern.

"I would do it anyway." Keiichi said then. "The stipulation for my becoming a demon was to allow Belldandy all of the happiness that she could be afforded." He took a sip of his sake, letting that sink in. "If I'm to pay a price, I expect to have such a trade made in full." He said. "Now, either you call them and order Skuld down here at once, or I'll call Hild and have her go get Skuld for us."

Belldandy could see the glint in his eye. He wouldn't be dissuaded. "I'll call the offices, and see what I can do." She replied, only to be given a nod by Keiichi in return.

"Greedy demon." Urd muttered with a shake of her head.

"Someone has to be." Keiichi said, plucking up more beef from the center of the table. "I'm not asking for the impossible. I'm merely demanding that Skuld be given time off to visit with her family. We all wish it, even you. Belldandy isn't going to be happy if Skuld's all alone." He replied then, not particularly minding either way. "If that's the case, I'll do anything in my power to make Belldandy happy."

"Yeah." Urd nodded. "Thanks, Keiichi." She knew he was doing this out of the good in his heart, even if she didn't like his methods.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Due to the dilatation of time, Keiichi could spend several years on earth, and it would only be a few weeks in hell respectively. He loved that time and wouldn't easily part with it for anything. During such times, the family put aside bloodlines and heritage, in favor of simple pleasures. Their days were filled with their daughter, who, thanks to her immortal body, aged very slowly. To her the world was new. So grand, that even a simple creature like a butterfly would amaze her.

Keiichi loved being a father, but now that his child was growing older, he wondered how lonely she really was. It had been eating at him, and he wondered what it would be like if she were to grow up an only child. When he was a mortal man, though he would covet things, he wouldn't ask for them…now that he was a demon, he voiced his expectations a little more freely.

His room was aged with the times, he knew, but the old comforts of his past appealed to him. He didn't often say it, but he was thankful for his magical powers. There was something about his leather jacket he couldn't replicate. The feel of denim jeans was also a comfort he just couldn't forget. His human lifestyle was outdated, and surely even his favorite television programs were merely a thing of the past…but with magic, that could all be remedied, so, his life in the shrine was a relic, but a loved one.

As he reclined lazily in his futon, his goddess lover next to him, he idly watched the angel and devil who shared his bedroom. They spent their time hued in their unearthly glows intimately, and though they were quiet about it, there was no question to what those two souls happened to be doing. Their feelings were flooding back into their masters, and it was a pleasant, yet slowly growing arousal, that would soon seek satiation.

"It's funny." Keiichi said offhandedly, as he let slip a contented yawn. "When I was a mortal, I didn't assume something like this would feel so natural."

"Yes, well mortals have their own luxuries." Belldandy told him softly, taking amusement in the devil that Keiichi called his own. The creature wasn't the friendliest of devils ever to be had, but, she had to admit, Koiji was loyal to Holybell. A devil of very few words, and often uncaring of the goddesses surrounding him, he rarely came out of hiding, unless Holybell sought him. "I thank the mortal realm, for it has given me a gift as well."

"I want more than earth can give." Keiichi said then, turning to look at her. "When I was a human, I'd given up on the idea of children, but now, I don't have to give that up anymore." He was sure that she could feel the greed bubbling up inside of him.

Although the conversation hadn't come up before, Belldandy knew that her first conception would eventually give rise to the topic of more children. The thought was one she'd happily amuse. "Megumi is still rather young, I believe. All in good time."

"I doubt we have that." Keiichi said, a soft but meaningful sternness to his voice. "Even as I am now, I think we're still racing against time. However, I've always considered a large family being something appealing."

"You want a brood?" Belldandy asked then. It was indeed possible to conceive multiple children at one time, but Belldandy almost worried for Urd, who would be left on earth with the children, if that were indeed the case. "This might seem an odd question, Keiichi." Belldandy began attentively. "However, just what do you consider large?" She bit her lip, if it was anything like the heavenly standard, they would likely need to enlist help.

"Three or four?" Keiichi shrugged. "Never really thought to put a number on how many kids…only that I think a large family would be best." He thought it might have been the demon mind within him, so coveting the idea of a legacy, but, he couldn't deny that he liked the sound of it.

Belldandy smiled at that, and also breathed a sigh of relief. "That's certainly doable." Belldandy nodded. "Though, when you live as long as most immortals do, with the time to procreate as they have, three or four children is actually considered quite a small family." Then with a smile, she let loose a small giggle. "Though, I assume it has much more to do with the fact that we age in a different way. Women retain their ability to carry a child indefinitely, so, large families are often closer to twenty or thirty, spread over several eons or so."

Keiichi considered that, and it eased him to know that his desires could be met…however, he had but one stipulation that his soul would not easily relinquish. "I want a son, Belldandy." He told her. "Megumi shouldn't grow up alone, and she should have siblings…but, I would also enjoy knowing that I have a son. Someone to look after what is rightfully his to protect." It was the way of it…having the strength to back up his future…and, he felt strongly about that anyway. "Grant me…grant us, what mortality never could." He said, leaning in to kiss her deeply. "Will you do that for me, Belldandy?" He whispered.

"Yes." Her reply was sealed with yet another kiss, a vow she prayed to keep.

…

Goddesses and demons, angels and devils, it didn't really make much sense to Megumi, who understood only a tiny part of what creation had to offer.

All that she knew, was that while she enjoyed playing with World of Elegance, and took some of the greatest comfort in Holybell, it was really her father's devil that captivated her the most. She loved the creature, clung to him whenever she could, and curled into him on the nights when everything else frightened her.

If it was because he was inherently quiet, or possessive of things he deemed he owned, the adults weren't sure. Even so, Koiji was a devil of the darkest markings that Urd had ever seen, and in her youth, she had seen a great many of them. His body was a deep ashen color, but adding to that a devil's signature pitch black wings and fangs, it didn't make for a comforting image. His fiery orange eyes were his own brand of terror, and he had no qualms about exhibiting aggression at the smallest annoyance.

He'd growl and take swipes at anything that got in his way. Most male devils weren't kind. They were built for their power and intimidation, and most young children were not particularly fond of their father's devils due to such extremes…it was the females devils who coddled them, and the males who protected them.

Megumi, however, was enthralled with Koiji.

"Do you really think you should let him play outside with her alone?" Urd asked in horror as she watched Koiji and Megumi play. The devil did everything with a mild disinterest. He would shoo the child away from his feathers, least she pluck at them, and made a point to play roughly with her. Hanging the child upside down, or tossing her into the air, yet, Megumi giggled anyway.

"He's never hurt her before." Keiichi shrugged. "I doubt he would start now." He looked outside, and remembered a time when his father used to do the same. "I used to like that kind of stuff too, when I was her age."

"I doubt your father could get that kind of air, Keiichi." Urd said with a wince as the little one flew high above the treetops. "If he drops her…"

"He won't drop her." Belldandy said, coming to the devil's defense. "Besides, you know just as well as we do, Koiji wouldn't take very kindly to you getting in the way of his personal time with Megumi anyway." Then, she smiled, she knew Holybell was outside someplace, and took just a bit of comfort in that. If anyone besides Keiichi could keep Koiji under control, it was Holybell. Some could even argue that Holybell did a better job of it. The devil couldn't seem to refuse her. "Even if she did fall, Megumi isn't exactly the fragile type."

"You can say that again." Urd sighed, with a shake of her head. "That kid is really starting to worry me."

"Immortal children, especially demons, grow used to rough and tumble play." Belldandy shrugged with just a hint of a sigh lacing her voice. "Though I do wish she would be more willing to take up a few sedative hobbies."

"I don't think knitting and tea making are going to be her forte." Urd muttered, not liking the sound of that. She certainly didn't take any joy in the idea. "She doesn't particularly enjoy television either." She gulped her sake with a smirk. "Your daughter wears me out."

"From what I've seen, demons, well…most of them, are thrill seekers. You can't prove it by me, but, the kids Meg's age are already taunting older demons and getting into fights." Keiichi crossed his arms, thinking a bit about that. "Hild told me that demonic children will have a knack for seeking out dangerous situations by default. It's just their way."

Urd nodded. "They're independent by nature." She said offhandedly, her breath catching every single time she thought the devil was cutting it close. "Megumi's just a little more rambunctious than I think she should be…especially where Koiji is concerned."

Belldandy shrugged, a distant memory making her smirk. Such fond times gave her comfort, and she let herself sink into her ponderings. "I don't know Urd. Skuld was pretty hard to manage too, I remember when she was little." In retrospect, Belldandy couldn't count how many times the youngest Norn threw a fit, or refused to be obliging to anyone besides her sisters, and even that was a long shot. "Sometimes, I really didn't think we'd make it through the night without calling someone for help."

"That was entirely different." Urd muttered. "Skuld's powers weren't attuning to her at all back when she was Megumi's age, so it was no wonder why she acted out. She was a goddess with only half of her senses." She looked over to Keiichi, putting it into context. "That's like a mortal who's both blind and deaf at the same time." With a shake of her head, she sighed. "I didn't expect that Skuld would be easy to take care of." Deciding she couldn't watch anymore, she sat back down at the table. "Your daughter is attuning just fine, so that isn't the problem."

"There isn't a problem at all." Keiichi finally sighed. "Megumi's just favoring her demonic side. We knew it was a possibility."

"She can still become a goddess." Urd shot back.

"Yes, she can." Belldandy agreed, though she was beginning to lose hope of that. "However, she could also continue to favor her demon side, Urd. It's a life she might choose. We can't deny that, and so we must prepare for that outcome, just in case."

"Would you really be okay with that?" Urd asked, the question cutting a deep rift in the room.

Belldandy looked over to Keiichi. She loved that man, bedded down with him, and had a child with him. He wasn't an unkind demon, and he wasn't at all like the horror stories told up in the heavens. "I suppose I would have to be." Belldandy finally settled with saying. "I don't mind what side she takes, so long as she's gentle and happy."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Tyr sighed, drumming his fingers on his desk with every ounce of agitation he allowed himself to show outwardly. As a cloud of blackened air consumed all of the rooms on the heavenly side of the building, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath. Even his own terminal had short circuited, caught fire, and then turned to ash, right before his own astonished eyes. At first, he thought it might have been his daughter that was to blame, but Skuld wasn't at her desk. She was in the lunch room, so that counted her out. Then he thought it might be a bug, that is, until he heard startled yelps, all of them making very clear just who was behind this little blunder.

Annoyed he sent a glare towards the phone, as if somehow, that would alleviate the migraine starting in his head. Belldandy warned him this might happen, but after a few days of relative peace, it was clear that Keiichi was quite displeased, and had lived up to his end of the threat after all. Tyr dusted off his desk and coughed, this was going to be hell to clean up. Thinking he could make a call to Yggdrasil, he picked up the phone, but the line was dead. "Damn it!"

Tyr wasn't the only one put off by the rucks that befell the heavenly side of the building. Skuld had been enjoying an afternoon meal, complete with some of her mother's tea when Hild and Hagall thought it would be a good idea to set a few firedrakes from hell itself loose to run amok. She was going to change their code from fire breathers, to something much less problematic when her terminal blew up right in her face.

It was only shortly thereafter that Skuld found herself in a rather awkward situation. "You do realize it'll take days to fix repair all of the damage you've caused, don't you?" Skuld asked as she was all but dragged through the corridors by Hild's hand. She tossed a glance over her shoulder at the smoke billowing out of the meeting rooms. "Mom's going to be so angry when she finds out."

"Your mother and I have colorful spats all the time." The demon brushed away Skuld's concern. "I hardly think this is very much collateral damage. Let this simply be something for your father to keep in mind next time." Hild said with a smirk. She dragged the girl to the demon's side of the office, and into her personal apartments kept there. "Keiichi asked me to retrieve you, so I have. That's all there is to it."

"Couldn't you have done it without destroying all of the terminals used by the heavenly staff?" Skuld muttered as the queen dusted the girl off, and gave her a once over to make sure she was truly unscathed. "Not to mention, you have drakes chasing people around!"

"Oh, they're harmless. They only drink from the lava pools. They can't actually eat anybody." Then, as if an amusing, if not appealing idea came to mind, her grin turned even more dangerous than before. "Well, I suppose I could have just rendered their side of the building into a pile of ash, but I thought that might be just a little crass, given the situation." She digressed it, and returned to the matter at hand. "Now then, you should take a bath before we go. It wouldn't due to have you so covered in soot!" She laughed.

"I wouldn't be covered in soot if you hadn't set Hagall loose in the office." With a sigh, she looked over at the bathtub, covered with candles, and other odd demonic fixtures. "This is a demon's bathtub." She finally said. "I think I'll just take one when I get to earth."

Hild rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself." She snapped her fingers, and the next thing Skuld knew, she fell right out of thin air, and right onto the dinner table.

"Skuld, are you alright?" Belldandy cried out, seeing that her sister had arrived. Then she took notice of the dust that covered her "Why are you so dirty?"

The youngest Norn plucked a bit of chocolate cake out of her hair and sighed. "Hild blew up the heavenly terminals we use to access Yggdrasil." Skuld reported with distaste.

"Keiichi, I thought you made her promise not to hurt anyone." Belldandy lamented, while fussing over Skuld with a damp napkin.

"I did." Keiichi retorted, still surprised the Skuld had flown out of his tea, and onto the table so quickly.

Belldandy didn't look convinced. "Is everyone on the heavenly side of the building alright?"

"They're fine." Skuld said with a shrug. "She made a mess, but that's all she did. Although, there are a few drakes setting fire to things."

"She better not have hurt anyone." Urd hissed, if looks could kill, Keiichi would have been, several times over.

"Well, of course I didn't. I swore on my very own throne not to harm a soul." Hild replied stepping through the front door. "Keiichi even promised me that if I behaved, he'd let me play with little Megumi for a while. Isn't that wonderful?"

"So very lovely." Urd groused, as she let Megumi toddle towards Hild begrudgingly. "Keiichi, you idiot, why did you let her in here."

"I told you she was going to come for a visit when I came back from my post." Keiichi hissed at her.

"Damn it, Keiichi." Urd shot a dirty look at Hild's direction. "Give me one good reason not to beat you within an inch of your life…"

"Contracts." Keiichi shrugged. "It's just for a few ours, don't sweat it so much."

Urd grit her teeth. "I'm going to the hot spring." She said as she stood, cursing Keiichi the entire time. "Hey Skuld, want to go with me?"

That seemed to brighten Belldandy's mood. "You know, it has been a while since we've had a hot spring outing." Belldandy looked at the shambles of the table, and lamented at the fact that she had a houseguest.

Finally, Keiichi shook his head. "Belldandy, go have fun." He told her with a smirk. "I'll do the dishes, so go do…well, whatever it is that you girls do when you go to the springs."

"Are you sure, Keiichi, this is quite the mess." Belldandy murmured, torn between being a proper hostess, and enjoying a hot springs bath with her sisters.

"Megumi has a babysitter, and I can do the cleaning, so just have a good time." He said, standing to clear the plates. "I promise you, the house will be in one piece when you return."

The three goddesses scurried away, Urd all but teleporting them out of the house as fast as she could. Her broom in one hand, and a bag of toiletries in the other. Keiichi just shook his head, and started the water for the sink. He cleaned the area, and even had time to toss in a load of Megumi's laundry before he put some water of the stove for tea. Hild meandered her way into the kitchen then, giving Keiichi an amused look. "Do you think that's called for, you are after all, a high ranking demon."

"In this house?" He laughed, gazing outside at the mess of leaves he would have to rake up tomorrow. "I'm still a small fish in a lake of sharks." He sighed then. "I thought Urd might actually beat the crap out of me."

"Well, that would have been amusing." Hild said with a true smile on he face. "A mother can dream, I suppose." Not that Urd would ever be so violent, but, it was cute to think about. "Now I'm almost sad that she didn't."

"Where's Meg?" Keiichi asked, not seeing any sight of his child, which was never a good sign, given her nature.

Hild looked at him as if he were stupid. "My devil has her, of course." Hild shrugged she helped herself to a bottle of sake. "It's much more gratifying to have my devil spend time with her, after all, devils are reflections of our souls." Then, she looked out into the hall. "Megumi reminds me so much of Urd at that age, minus the little fangs Meg's growing in, of course."

Keiichi felt the topic to be an uncomfortable one, and he cleared his throat. "Thanks for brining Skuld down." When the kettle began to squeal, he pulled it off the burner. "It really means a lot to Urd and Belldandy to have her around."

"I'm sure." Hild replied evenly. She could tell he wasn't sure what to do about his daughter. "Keiichi, I'm sure you can already tell, but Megumi's powers are already taking a sharp lurch towards the demonic…"

"Yeah." He said, unsure of what that might mean to Hild. He thought she would be enthused, but instead, she seemed worried and withdrawn. It was unlike her to be so unsure of anything. Pushing beyond some of his fear, he relented. There was no use avoiding the topic. "Belldandy's trying to convince Urd that she's alright with it…but I think deep down, they're both really worried about it. I thought that having Skuld around might ease the stress factor around here just a little bit."

"Oh, is that so?" Hild licked her lips, and nodded, taking a sip of the drink in her hands. "Well, hopefully Megumi settles on a choice soon. There's nothing more agonizing than a child caught betwixt and between her powers."

"When Urd decided to become a goddess, what did you do?" Keiichi asked, as he gripped his mug of tea in a vice like grip. "How did you deal with it?"

Hild remained motionless as the question flowed over her, and with nod filled with its own sense of irony, she let loose a bitter laugh. "Well, I suppose that's the reason Urd hates me." Hild replied. "I didn't deal with it. I gave her over to her father, and that was the end of it."

"Well, what do I say to that?" Keiichi sighed with a shake of his head. "I thought there was just some resentment on her end of things…but, you've holding onto things too, aren't you?"

Hild rolled her eyes. "If there's one thing I've hated about you since the beginning, Keiichi, it's that you're too damn perceptive about the wrong things." She gave it a bit of thought, regarding him with a distant, bitterly cold anger that seethed within her soul, to this very day. "I gave Urd to the heavens, and that was literally the end of it." Hild said. "I turned around, and I left her there. I didn't look back, and she didn't come after me."

…

It was fated to be a night filled with tense conversation. Things in heaven were leaving a sad, bitter impression on the youngest Norn. Urd just shook her head, as Belldandy accepted all that she'd heard, knowing there wasn't much she could really do. Even when she was by Skuld's side, Belldandy thought it wasn't enough sometimes, and the confession under then stars proved it.

Skuld's words painted grim tales. "So, then after we put the training grounds back together, I got scolded. Dad said that I should work really hard to improve my magical skill so that I don't become like Lind." She told a story about one of her most recent mishaps in heaven. "Dad's getting frustrated with me, because even if I'm really good with the system, I just can't understand the whole creation of life thing. He keeps saying I need to learn to be like you."

Belldandy smiled at that, as she floated about in the water. It was so easy to forget that her little sister just wasn't magically inclined. It wasn't for a lack of trying, it just wasn't in her skillset. "Well, that's merely because I chose to study that kind of magic." Belldandy offered cryptically. "You'll figure it out Skuld."

Urd nodded, agreeing with Belldandy. "You always do." She told her little sister, trying to offer support. She knew in the end, it wouldn't really matter. It never seemed to before, and it likely wouldn't now. "Don't worry so much, and it'll come to you."

"I don't think so." Skuld said as she dove into the water, coming up for air a moment later. "I'm just not made for magic. You guys are both so good at it." She huffed out an agitated breath, sinking back under the water to clear her head. "Besides, I just don't think I would ever want to learn creation manipulation magic." A little hesitantly, she searched within the depth of her mind finding possible future she would never dare speak about. "Some things, are just better left alone."

"Well, I won't argue with that." Belldandy laughed gently, well-schooled in the divine principles. She took a moment to consider that, and, just what her youngest sister really was. "The skill behind creation manipulation magic, is knowing when to leave things well enough alone."

"It should be left alone indefinitely." Skuld muttered. "Some things shouldn't be toyed with, and if you could see what I see, you'd know why."

"It's because I can't see the future that I'm not afraid of the consequences. I'm not biased to what I think I see. I only act within that one moment." Belldandy said softly, knowing tat's the way things should be for one such as herself. "Skuld, your power is a great gift, but I can't help but feel like it weighs you down more than it should."

"Skuld's screwed, Bell, that's just how it is." Out of the three of them, Urd was the one least interested in the events of heaven. "The past, or the future…it doesn't really matter. We've got to drag that stupid baggage around with us. We're not like you, we can't just do what our hearts tell us." The complicated committee affairs could be damned, and Urd wouldn't have cared. "You're the lucky one, you're not fated to dream about the past that can't be changed, or about prophecies that might not exist." Urd was more interested in Skuld's wellbeing.

"Yes, you're right Urd." Belldandy nodded with a sigh. "When you put it that way, it does seem like a heavy burden. I only wish that it didn't have to be that way."

"I wouldn't say it's heavy." Skuld said slowly. "I'm used to it now anyway…but, it makes me think that maybe some magic isn't meant to be used at all. That it should be forbidden entirely."

"Tyr's a big jerk anyway, especially when it comes to studying." Urd groused. "Give him the middle finger, and come back here. Between Belldandy and I, we can teach you what you want to learn."

"Urd, that's not nice…" Belldandy sighed, though she did agree with the statement about Skuld coming back to earth. "What schools of magic did you want to study, Skuld?"

"It isn't about wanting to do it. I have to do it." Skuld pulled out her report card, and gave it to her sisters. There were all types of grading scales, but what held true to all of them were goddess ranking, as that decided the classification of the goddesses. There were five classes of goddesses in total, with countless different categories. "Dad's pushing me to get a first class license…my grades are horrible."

"Looks like we'll have to work from the ground up." Urd sighed, that was a lot of learning.

"This isn't all bad, in fact, it looks like your combat magic is getting better." Belldandy said, trying to look for the bright point on the report. "It's growing in leaps and bounds." Belldandy looked over to Urd, who merely nodded. Together, they mentally cringed. They knew why that was, but also knew better than to explain it to the youngest Norn. "Skuld, have you been training with anyone from the combat division?" Belldandy asked slowly, suddenly feeling parched.

"No, but that's just it." Skuld protested. "Lind says that I'm really good. She keeps saying that despite my lack in formal combat arts, that I really should try out for combat division. The recruitment numbers are low, so they're looking for trainees." She bit her lower lip. "Dad got mad at me for that too, said that it wasn't where I belonged, even though Lind also asked him personally. She even told him that she would become my tutor."

Urd suppressed a curse.  
Belldandy withheld a sigh.  
Skuld merely looked as dejected as she felt.

The report card spoke of more than Belldandy and Urd wanted to accept. Fifth and fourth class immortals were the weakest of the bunch, normally hailing from poor bloodlines, or simply lacking power to gain influence. Third class goddesses were better off, and that was the most common class. They were the grunts that kept heaven moving along and no one questioned it. Those in third class lived fairly simple lives, with little to complain about.

"Skuld, you need to understand something. This was meant to happen." It was the second class goddesses that had it the hardest. "You were made to fight. It is your calling, and your fate, even if our father fights against it." Not good enough to be considered the best, they were looked down on by their superiors. They were the odd ducks in an ocean of swans. "Skuld, you should enlist in division." Urd finally said.

"It doesn't matter how right it might feel, or how good I might one day be." Skuld shook her head.

Belldandy sighed, she knew Skuld's plight well. "I agree with Urd." It would defy their father, but it was the best choice, and she knew it. "Skuld, to work in the admin offices, goddesses usually have a first class license. The problem is, you weren't cut from the cloth needed to be a goddess of that rank. That isn't what your skills are suited for."

"I know that." Skuld said, looking at her sisters earnestly. "Dad said no, and you know how he is."

Belldandy nodded, her eyes closed. "Well then, to bend to his will, you must be a first class goddess. We should begin your combat training here on earth as soon as possible."

"First class goddesses can't lie." Urd warned the middle Norn, knowing what she was doing.

"I'm not lying." Belldandy rebuked. "A first class goddess, with an unlimited license, must rank in every category with a second class skill or higher for every single test. They don't hand just anyone a first class license without being sure they're skilled enough to handle it." Belldandy said, pointing to Skuld's report card, as if that was their ace in the hole. "She's only marked as a third class in combat, she'll need to bring up her rank if she wants to become a first class goddess."

"Well then, I guess I'll help." Urd smirked.

Both she and Belldandy were ranked as special operations when it came down to their combative skill. They simply lacked a love for battle. Belldandy was too passive on any given day, and Urd feared warfare would appeal to a side of herself she never wanted to appease. Skuld however, had just enough gull, just enough tact…and just the right personality to stand up to an opponent, not out of defense or offence…yet, on pure principle alone.

"Then, it's decided." Belldandy nodded. "We'll train you to reach a first class level, if not division level."

"You guys would really do that!?" Skuld asked, hope in her voice, as she cupped her hands together, almost as if in prayer.

"Yes." Belldandy nodded. "We can begin as soon as you're ready."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

A blast of air, water, and fire made Keiichi and Skuld fly backwards. Keiichi flew directly into the ground, leaving an impression of his body in the soil. Skuld was catapulted high into the sky from the blast, finally falling onto the roof of the house with a hard crack to the head. Both sat up, unscathed, and yet out of breath. Keiichi jumped up first, dusting himself off, as yet another round was called to a close by Belldandy.

"She's getting stronger." Belldandy said with a smile. "I'm happy that she could turn to you for help, Keiichi."

"I need the practice." Keiichi shrugged. "Besides, I've been wielding fire for so long, it might be good to learn a bit more than low level water magic." Facing any goddess was difficult though, the sparring matches were much more complicated when he knew his partner was an actual goddess, equally matched when it came down to the wire. He was weak to water magic, Skuld's base attunement. He was at a disadvantage for that alone.

"Skuld, I want you to focus more on your ability to dodge his attacks." Belldandy instructed carefully from her place. Holybell was acting as a grounding medium for any of Skuld's wayward attacks, since Noble Scarlet was also merely an angel in training. "As a goddess with limited magical reserves, you'll need to consider your position. Utilize tactical offense, instead of total defense."

"Keiichi, that goes for you too. You've got power, but you're a glass cannon. If you use too much on defense, you'll have none for offense." Urd said, standing near Keiichi, using World of Elegance to keep his demonic power from doing unfixable damage to the earth without meaning to. These were intermediate level spells that these two trainees were using, and unlike simple elemental magic, this was designed to do abrasive damage. Earth was not a place that could yet deal with such raw, unchecked power. Even with a first class license, Keiichi had much to learn, especially with his devil making him stronger by the day.

The fact that Skuld was now training under a first class, limited, meant that she could cause undue amounts of havoc. A mere healing spell wouldn't be enough to offset the pure force that the two combatants had to use at their disposal.

"Belldandy, lets switch to some theoretical intermediate magic for today." Urd suggested, having noticed that both Skuld, and Keiichi were quite exhausted. Koiji looked ready to go for blows again, and Noble Scarlet seemed the same, but their masters were both unable to fight any longer without repercussions.

Belldandy considered this, and nodded. "Elemental barrier manipulation?" Belldandy then asked.

"That's easy enough." Urd shrugged in agreement. "Alright guys, let's go back to some rudimentary learning for a second."

"Elementals again?" Skuld sighed, and Keiichi rolled his eyes, but didn't complain.

Belldandy nodded. "As you know, there are four schools of magic in which all spells are derived." She stretched out a bit, going back to core magical values that even a child knew, thinking it best to review. "Elemental magic, barrier magic, psychic magic, and creation manipulation magic." It went without saying, that the final type of magic on the list wasn't often used. "Each one of these has four types of spells."

"We know, we know…" Skuld muttered. "Level one, or known as a base spell, is what every immortal needs to make the higher level ones work." She was starting to get bored, and half hoped to get back to fighting, if she could avoid the lecture. "Level two spells are known as intermediate level, and can only be used by immortals of a second class or higher. Level three, known as high level magic, can only be used by a second class, unlimited license holder, or first class immortal."

"That's right." Urd nodded. "The final class level is known as restricted. Those spells are the strongest, and can only be used by a first class, unlimited license holder." With that, Urd gave a weary glance over to Belldandy. "The only problem is, in order to use them, you have to have your seals lifted…either by breaking them, or by being granted authority."

"The wind arrow, for prime example." Belldandy nodded. "That's one of the restricted spells that I can use, when given the authority, or by removing my seal entirely. Ironically enough, even if it is classified under restricted, it is considerably weak compared to other spells that could be used."

"But that's the thing, isn't it?" Keiichi said, thinking back to the training Hild had given him. "The restricted spells are specific to the element we're most attuned to." That meant his was fire, as that was his strongest element. "I know yours is wind, Skuld's is water, and Urd's is electricity…but what about Hild? We've seen her use manipulation magic to restore Urd back to her proper self. Hild's strength is wind, just like you, Belldandy. How did she make a ground array so powerful?"

"That's because she used restricted creation manipulation magic." Belldandy told him. "Simply put, even if she could make the array on her own, she couldn't have cast the spell on her own. As a demon, she can't cast heavenly spells, even if she can work heavy code into her array."

"Restricted spells need teamwork." Urd went on to say, a shiver dancing its way down her spine. "Most of them require multiple casters to get the job done. Not that it really matters, at least not right now." Remembering Hild's raw power did horrible things to her brain. "Restricted magic is too complicated for either of you anyway. You guys would likely kill yourselves if you tried to learn those things."

"Yeah…no doubt." Keiichi agreed with a shudder.

"Keep something in mind." Urd said as she looked up at her angel. "There's a synergy with any magic that you use, and when you cast a spell, you can combine them." It was so very elementary to Urd and Belldandy, but for Skuld and Keiichi, combining two schools of magic was like diving into the deep end of the pool without a lifejacket. They simply couldn't do it safely. "Elemental barrier magic, is one such combination."

"What I'm going to teach you now, is a very powerful, yet intermediate water type attack." Belldandy said, as sat floating in the air. Her combat garb hugged her form and her staff floated at her side. Since water elemental magic was not her specialty, she had to be in full combat form to make use of the spells made for destruction. It had no incantation, unlike a high level water spell, but it did require quite a bit of time to prepare.

She pulled droplets of water together out of the condensation in the air, forming a funnel around her body. It stayed there, whirling around, and she sat floating in an open space. "This is a basic level one, water spirit defensive funnel." She said, her voice muting quite a bit from the water that surrounded her. "However, even if it can be a defensive maneuver, water is just like wind. It can be very easily manipulated." Once she had collected enough water, she cast her hand to the side, and in doing so, the water froze, shards of ice went flying towards Urd without warning.

A single bolt of electricity was enough to crush the ice into a fine mist that made the air spark until everything had dissolved. "Water can be a double edged sword. Anyone can manipulate it, even your opponent." Urd retorted. "Don't forget that." Electricity was much more complicated to change at will, and using her hand to fire off an electric burst, low level though it was, it forced the water around Belldandy to dissipate, least the funnel amplify the shockwave.

They could sense crying from the house, and Belldandy rolled her eyes. It hadn't even been an hour, and already, Megumi had awoken from her nap. "Well, I guess that calls training off for now." Belldandy said, as her angel when to retrieve the little girl. "We'll have to do more with it later."

Skuld looked over to Keiichi. "We should regenerate, and then have another sky dual." She said, wanting to get in as much practice with an actual demon as possible.

"Sounds good." Keiichi smirked, his devil offering an indignant snort in reply, enjoying the idea of another good fight.

…

It was a mother's job to worry. To sit at her place, and watch her children grow. Anzasu had been blessed with two daughters of her own blood, and a child that had come to her when the child's heart chose to be a goddess. Hild would never admit it, but, she so loathed not being able to stand at her daughter's side. It would often tear Hild apart inside, when her child so wished her to be there, and as a demon, she wasn't able to be. Hild hated creations laws for that, even now.

Anzasu knew…she could see it in Hild's eyes.

The journey they traveled together was a special one. They both followed the strict paths that had been placed before them by their parents. They both struggled to find themselves among creation. They, both loved the same man, and gave birth to his daughters. Now, they both stood watching what they knew they could not stop. There was no point to intervene. For all of the power they knew ran through their souls, they could not stop the illness that would forever change creation.

"Watching this, reminds me of our youth." Anzasu said with a soft smile, the distant memory was one she held so fondly in her heart.

"Well, they're only children, after all." Hild returned with a laugh.

"Well, not so little." Anzasu replied, watching Skuld glide through the air was more magical than any spell. "Belldandy is a mother herself…I'm a grandmother. It seems so unbelievable that I'm fated not to see the new age. To think that these young souls will bring forth a brighter future is a bit overwhelming."

"That's exactly my point." Hild's joy fell, and something grew hard in her eyes, and in her heart. "Even my little Urd is still so young. It's easy to forget that they're only a few eons old…struggling to find their place. Urd and Belldandy have many trials ahead of them, and little Skuld is just a babe in the grand scheme of things." It seemed befitting, in all of her years of life, she had never found another man like Tyr, never sought for a different god or demon after him. "They're all still so very naïve. Every single one of them"

"Urd has your eyes, Hild." Anzasu had always felt that way. That Hild and Urd were indeed mother and daughter in a way that the young goddess would never understand. Perhaps it was befitting. "Urd cares for Keiichi. She watches over him in the same way you used to watch over Tyr. It's not a coincidence, it's not fate. That's merely how is."

"Then she will be burned." Hild said distantly. "She will know little more than pain if she falls for that demon, because that is what Keiichi has become."

"Perhaps not." Anzasu murmured in thought. "Urd and Belldandy are a united front, they've always supported each other."

"Anzasu…if I…" Hild cut herself off, a scowl making her displeasure known. "Never mind."

"You would resort to cowardice?" Anzasu laughed. "That's unlike you."

"I loved Tyr." Hild said pointedly with a darkness that seemed to engulf her. "With every ounce of my heart. My very being was to be his." She sighed with a shake of her head. "I do not regret having his child, nor do I regret that my child is a goddess." What made her angry now, was watching Urd live through such a hell herself. "However, she will be damned if she makes the same mistake. Living as long as we do, it's a very painful thing to be alone."

"Don't tell me you're going to confess all of your sins now." Anzasu didn't turn to look at her friend. She didn't dare to find out what was lurking in the eyes of the demon. Chances were, there was a deeply burning pain, and Anzasu knew better than to pick at old scars. "There's no redemption in that, Hild."

"No, I suppose there isn't." The demon said quietly. "Yet, there is no solace in solitude." She turned on her heel, she couldn't watch anymore of the display on the screen. She couldn't accept what she knew she saw…what would never be addressed…what would remain unrequited. "I admitted defeat because it was you, Anzasu." It was far too close to the old days, and a struggle she understood too well. "Urd will not act on her feelings, because it is Belldandy. The cycle continues."

The goddess merely let out a sigh and closed her eyes. It was clear, the things the demon would not say. Hild would never let her pride down long enough, but, Anzasu could read between the lines. It was so easy to see, so easy to remember a time when things were so much more simplistic than they were now. "I love you too, Hild."

"That's the thing I hate about goddesses." Hild smirked, just the tiniest bit of gentleness behind her words. "They babble on about things best left unsaid."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

There was something very strange about a devil holding his child in his arms. It wasn't something males did, as it wasn't in their capacity to understand the needs of others. Children were unable to fend for themselves, and that didn't particularly appeal to devils in the long run. Sure, once in a while they might take a passing interest. Yet, like a kitten to water, it would yield the same result. A very befuddled, often unhappy creature, with no idea what to do. Koiji however, knew his master partook of the duties befitting of a sire, and even did things that weren't natural for a demon to do.

Keiichi was very active in his daughter's life. Though the devil hadn't a clue why, Koiji envied Keiichi his position, and saw fit to try and mimic Keiichi's actions.

Koiji may not have understood the feelings behind the happy giggles, and Megumi's insistence about being near him, but Koiji also didn't mind it. In fact, he often demanded it. Below him, there was one very annoyed goddess and her angel was tittering away at him. They kept their distance, least he would swipe at them again with his claws. The goddess, Urd, was spouting invectives, and her angel did the same in a heavenly tongue.

He shook with silent laughter. There was nothing they could do to stop him, so long as he kept holding Megumi. He hopped a little higher in the tree, and fluffed out his wings, protecting the little one from the gentle breeze that was just a tad cool for the season. He simply didn't care that he was addling the goddess that remained on the ground. He continued to fly about, ignoring them.

The toddler in his arms would start to fuss when their shouting became too loud, and Koiji, unwilling to relent, went off in search of a quiet place once again. That was when Urd had reached her wits end. Even if she couldn't get the wayward devil to listen, she knew there were others who could.

Belldandy had been absentmindedly listening to the ruckus outside, but, it was so normal to hear shouting on any given day. She merely stretched out, reclining in the bathtub, trying to chase away the sense of foreboding that crept up on her. Somehow, she knew she was going to be unduly interrupted, as that was the running theme whenever there was a shouting match. Still, she put up a small barrier, least the tranquility of the bathroom find itself in shambles with her inside. It wouldn't be the first time, and she knew it would be far from the last, if her family had their way about it.

"Would you do something?!" Urd roared, coming into the bathroom in absolute fury, flinging the door aside and marching right in.

"Do you mind?" Belldandy sighed, unhappy about her bath being disturbed. Still, she had no intention of moving if she could help it. She also didn't take the time to cover herself up, either, considering that it was merely her eldest sister making the fuss. "It wouldn't hurt any of you to learn a bit of common courtesy." She asked, leaning over the side.

"Tell that to Koiji. That damned devil took Megumi, and he refuses to put her in her to bed." Urd groused, and Belldandy could tell there was no point to linger in the warm water any longer. "Where's Keiichi?" Urd nearly barked, when she saw that her sister seemed uninterested in Koiji's little tirade.

"Leave him be, Urd. He's in the forest with Holybell, helping with advanced barrier training. Skuld needs to learn to deflect demonic attacks, and who better to help than Keiichi?" Belldandy said, hoisting herself out of the bath. On the counter, she had her blue glowing potion waiting for her, and she drank it slowly with her eyes closed, saying a soft prayer. As soon as she finished, she dressed herself in her garb. "Now then, where's Koiji?"

"Who the hell knows?!" Urd ranted. "He flew off, with Megumi in his arms."

Belldandy sighed. "You calm down, and I'll deal with Koiji." She could sense him strongly, and knew that he was actually floating just above the house, hiding away in a nook that wasn't easily seen from the ground. Huddled there, he cradled Megumi, holding the little girl to his chest. With one clawed finger he very carefully, and gently pushed her bangs to the side, and fluffed his dark wings some more.

"There you are." Belldandy said with a soft smile.

He soundlessly snarled at her, his fangs and claws extended as his wings reared back, contorting unnaturally in an aggressive manner.

"Koiji…" Belldandy warned, knowing full well she couldn't exactly use her powers on him. At least, not while her little girl was in his possession. "Be civil, or I'll call Keiichi."

Koiji seemed to think on that with a roll of his eyes. That threat didn't appeal to him, and he quickly rethought his greeting. He retracted his fangs to a normal length, but that still didn't mean he was interested about having the goddess so close to him. He was less willing to revert the long spikes at the tips of his fingers back to their normal length, but he begrudgingly complied.

Having noticed that the he was waking the little girl, he purred in a tone that rumbled deep within his chest, ignoring the goddess. The tiny creature seemed to like that.

"What are you doing up here? You can't possibly find this place comfortable." She said to him, much more at ease now that he didn't look like he was going to take a swipe at her.

_Mine…_ He spoke to her directly through the bonded link he shared with Holybell, something he wasn't normally interested in doing. _That half goddess is irritating, and that Elegance of hers is surely a creature from the bowels._ The devil said, as he curled his dark wings around him a little more, as if to shelter the child from even the goddess in front of him. _She is mine, so I brought her away from the noise. The tiny one didn't seem to like it._

"Megumi is ours. Keiichi and I are the parents to the form she takes now. When she hatches her egg, then you will meet the embodiment of her soul, and the child that is in your image. Her deity will be the child that you and Holybell have made from your deepest feelings for one another." Belldandy corrected, as she took the chance to sit beside him. "Megumi's soul reflected."

_Mine anyway…_ He growled again. The little one curled into him, and his chest swelled with a feeling of pride. She wanted his attention, not the goddess's. It made him smirk a little, quite happy at that knowledge. _She seeks me._

"You do love Megumi, don't you?" She asked him softly with a gentle smile.

Love was not something he had the capacity to understand. He was a devil made for combat, for protection, and making a statement among other males in a place where war and arguing ran rampant. He was the embodiment of the darkness held within Keiichi, and he made it known. Even now, he didn't understand the reason behind taking interest in the child. He looked down at the little girl as if she were an odd trinket, or a plaything he had never seen before…yet, he was careful not to jostle her, as she took rest in his presence.

He cocked his head to the side, growling again, this time in confusion. _I am a devil. I do not require love._

"You love Holybell, don't you?" Belldandy asked him, already knowing that much was true.

_She's my soul mate, and also mine._ He groused, as if the goddess in front of him was clearly very stupid. _This is not a soul mate…this is my pet…this Megumi._

That made Belldandy giggle. She forgot how young Keiichi was in terms of his immortal soul. The devil reflected that as well, it seemed. Belldandy pulled an egg from around her neck. It was the egg that had been made with the powers of blessings given to Belldandy the day Megumi was born. It would one day become Megumi's other half. The magical part of her soul, sealed away, until she was ready for it. "This is your daughter, Koiji." Belldandy said. "This little egg, right here."

He looked at it, and then gave it a sniff, wondering what in the world seemed to dangle from that chain like a pendant. Then he frowned, and became disinterested. _I have no use for a bauble. _He explained, returning to the task at hand, watching over Megumi. _She's satisfactory. I am pleased._

Belldandy sighed, trying to not look nearly as amused with his antics as she felt. "Megumi should sleep in her own bed."

_I am pleased, goddess._ Koiji growled pointedly. _She is resting, she doesn't need a bed._

"You'll hold her through the entire night?" Belldandy asked. Koiji nodded. "Then I suppose there is little else we need to discuss. I know you'll protect her, but if she begins to feel a chill, it would be best to bring her inside. Do you understand?" He growled, but nodded one last time.

There was no use fighting with him. _Holybell…_ Belldandy called to her own angel, who she could feel was offering Skuld some sort of magical reinforcement.

_Yes master?_ The angel asked, though she seemed strained from whatever she was doing.

_Koiji is being stubborn, not to mention, acting quite strangely. _Belldandy explained, she could hear her angel giggle. Belldandy knew angels and devils could communicate with one another, and also used each other to communicate with their masters, but even so, Belldandy was not very familiar with the devil. Holybell, however, knew Koiji quite well. _I've never seen a devil do the things he does._

_Master, I assure you that all is well. Megumi will be okay. He's quite fond of her, even if he is a little possessive. _She stopped speaking as she cast another spell. The incantation took quite a while. _He listens to me, so I'll tuck her into bed once I'm done ungluing Keiichi from the tree._

_Ungluing Keiichi from a tree? _Belldandy asked, slightly alarmed. _Do you need any help?_

_No, Skuld and I can manage. It's not as bad as it might sound. _The angel reported. _It's late, you should go relax. I know I've become a drain on your powers. We will return home soon, I promise._

_Please do. _ Belldandy said then, with a yawn. She was indeed quite sleepy, and craved a nice long rest.

…

Hild had several reservations about creation, and most of them admittedly came as answers when nothing else could. The laws of creation were made to be tried, tested, bent, and broken. They were not the wisest plans, and not without fault, but at least they were effective. She knew that, but, she also despised sloppy work. It was because she would not forgive the past transgressions, that had so utterly wronged her, that she refused to let the realities maintain their vice-like grip over creation.

Hild also refused to leave the cleanup to the new generation.

"I do not understand what this will do." Anzasu replied, having been brought to a chamber well away from most areas in creation. This had to be a pocket universe. "Just what do you intend to do."

"Just simply watch and learn." The demon said, with little in the way of explanation.

Her power might have been limitless, but creation was not, and her mind had toiled away for quite a long time before Hild found an adequate solution. She could not simply cast a spell and blow the judgment gate into irreparable dust, though she dearly wanted to. She could not simply render it useless with a curse either, doing so would strike fear into the hearts of many, and those who dared to pass through would only receive the curse she placed upon it.

She also couldn't cast a barrier…that had been tried, and proven to fail every single time.

Hild simply had to do something though…something that would render the gate meaningless. Something that would prove it was not a gate to be coveted, but rather, despised. That it was nothing but a malignant tumor, upon which those of creation set unfounded ideals. That however, was not the only issue she took with creation. Though, it was her personal hatred towards the gate, that sent her ire into an unending flame.

She was after all, a woman scorned by that damnable rock mouth.

"Xic, disrobe and come before me." She ordered. Wordlessly, the boy nodded, doing as he was told. She positioned him directly into the center of the circle, and began chanting an incantation, that made the circle glow, then, she turned to Anzasu. "What you're about to see is a forbidden practice, and it stays between the two of us. Not even a murmur of its use will be spoken."

"Is this some sort of pact?" Anzasu asked her. "A formal contract?"

"Yes." Hild replied. "In return for not ratting me out, I will teach you how to build this array. You'll find it to be invaluable, trust me."

"Alright." Anzasu breathed unhappily.

The other issue Hild took with creation, was the doublet system. She saw a good logic behind the system, but, it had to be a logic used by good, forthright people. Demons were not such creatures, and even the heavens had minds that could snap at particular implications. Further addled by the judgment gate, the doublet system caused an unforeseeable influx in unhappy immortals. It drove anger and resentment into souls that should not have kept such feelings.

What was two systems, necessitated by war, and driven by tradition, fell by the wayside for this younger generation who didn't need them.

In fact there were many who denied the sanctity of the doublet, and reached for their furthest memories, to discover who they were bound by. If that were not enough, many from the heavens and hells both, fled to places far from the center of creation seeking a homeland where no such laws existed. Due to such extremes, there were biomes under Hild's control, where she gave shelter to those questionable immortals in need of guidance.

She knew for a fact, that harmony could be found among likeminded, logical, self-serving creatures…ones who knew better than to disvalue life, or bring it into question. It wasn't without its fair share of strife, and it had its limitations. Some beings were simply incompatible, and that was merely the way of it. She could not change the truth, but, she use it for example.

That example, lead to her choice in Keiichi.

For all of her true intent, earth was now a similar biome, simply one within its infancy. Still, the fact that his shrine could maintain both holy, and unholy entities…that mortals could live alongside of immortals, and strive to reach beyond their limitation, proved that there was indeed hope. However, there was no quick and easy solution...however, if anyone could find a way to make creation into such a place, that person was Keiichi.

"Are you sure about this?" Xic asked, as Hild's powers painted his body in seals from head to toe.

"You are a bringer of death, but, more than that, you are a vessel for you magic." She told him. "You are a powerful young lad, but, you will never be able to harness such power, as it stands now. Simply put, it isn't within your jurisdiction." She could use his raw power for something though…something that would give her a resolution to one of her problems. "Fear not, because I have chosen you to be the first of many."

Giving power to the magical inscriptions upon his person, Hild pulled forth her own portal to the judgment gate, her only key, and sealed it within the boy. When the glow subsided, she studied him as he began to dress. The seals had dissipated, and the no one would be the wiser. That made her smirk, it was much easier to hide the gate in plain sight, than it would ever be to destroy it.

"As you can see, Anzasu, it proves useful." Hild replied. "If the holders of the gate, can't call forth the gate themselves, it'll force couples to travel there on foot. Xic will never know the incantation, and, if we do that with every key, it will eventually lack someone to summon it. " She crossed her arms, giving her goddess friend a smirk. "If we can hide away all of the keys, we shall only have that damn rock to contend with, and that can easily be thwarted."

"It won't get rid of the gate." Anzasu replied sternly. "It won't get rid of the traditions."

"There is no need to destroy, what will eventually have no use." Hild said with a smirk. "Creation must adapt slowly, I do not deny that. Slow and careful planning will yield the greatest result. All that we must to, is make the gate a burden to bear...make it so that creation itself, condemns its very use."

"Of all the ways, why this?" Anzasu queried. "Why the boy?"

"Creation is incapable of sudden changes, and I do not seek war." Hild could only be a little bitter about that. "This plan will only see fruition after all of the keys have been removed from play." Even so, it was the best she could do, to accommodate the most natural removal of the gate. "Our job now, is to render the idea of interspecies trial as useless."

"I don't see why you strive to promote this anarchy." Anzasu shook her head. "I agree that the gate is not failsafe. I understand that it casts harsh, sometimes even undue judgment…but it is our way. It is a thing of our creation, our livelihood."

"The gate will die out with us, and be reborn anew." Hild shrugged, her eyes returning to Xic. "I see nothing wrong with such a truth. They have no need for it as it stands now, so they simply won't use it. Step down, Anzasu, let our traditions die. This is the first step into the abyss...trust that I understand what must be done."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"If you want to stay longer Skuld, I can try to arrange it." Keiichi offered after a phone call came from heaven, a formal summon had come from the admin offices, and she would have to leave.

"Don't you think that you've done enough?" Urd said turning to him. "Remember last time?"

"I can't control Hild." Keiichi sighed. "She kept up her end of the bargain, what more could I ask for?"

"I want to stay, but they need me, and I didn't want to say no. It was a personal request from Lind." Skuld shook her head, when her niece tugged on the bottom of her shirt, looking hopeful. "Sorry Megumi, I can't." She told the little girl, patting her on the head.

"What's so important that you just have to rush off?" Urd asked then, her eyebrow raised "Tyr didn't get sealed again, did he?"

"No, but I really wish he would." Skuld lamented, she'd already spent a good few years down on earth, and it was simply time to go home. "We're installing a new seed into the network soon." Much of that time had been for combat training with Keiichi, but also to relax. "That means they'll need me. Peorth is a good systems administrator, don't get me wrong…but, we need to synchronize Nidhogg with Yggdrasil. They need a Norn up there in order for the seed to take root."

"Peorth isn't authorized to do that." Urd noted, a bit bothered by Skuld's knowledge. "I should go up there personally, before Yggdrasil crashes. This could cause more than a few dangerous paradoxes."

"Don't worry about Peorth. She's not able to keep the system stable, but I am." Skuld said, not really looking forward to dragging herself through her travel medium. "I'm the one learning how to work with both sets of computers, it only makes sense that I go." She glanced down to Megumi, and then offered Urd a smile. "Besides, you're needed here."

"How do you like working with the demonic super computer?" Keiichi laughed, knowing his personal experiences with it were less than pleasant. "Is it hard to learn, comparatively to Yggdrasil?"

"I'm not too bothered by it, but then again, I used to be a Yggdrasil debugger. I'm used to problem solving." Skuld shrugged as she packed her bags. It was fun while it lasted, but earth wasn't her place. "They're the same basic machine at their core. Yeah, some commands are different, and Nidhogg has got some pretty convoluted programming, but the same can be said for our computer too."

"Goddesses weren't meant to understand how Nidhogg works." Urd told Keiichi, knowing it was the same for demons when it concerned the heavenly super computer. "The demon's language and the heavenly language are only intertwined at the core. Beyond that, we can't actually understand the codes."

"I know just a little bit more than Urd does, since learning some demonic language part of my training." Skuld replied. "That's why I have to be the one to go." She looked over to Urd. "You don't know anything of their language, even if it is in your blood."

"I don't need to learn it." Urd retorted. "I'm a goddess. I refuse to amuse that other side of myself."

"Case in point." Skuld groused dryly with a sigh. "She'd be useless up there right now."

"Well this timing is unfortunate, Skuld, but I'll be up soon myself." Belldandy looked to Keiichi with a sad smile as she came in from the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "Negotiations over Mara will begin soon. You and I will have to go back to our posts too, otherwise they'll be understaffed at the offices, not to mention that you and I will have to face off at the meeting hall." Belldandy sighed. "Father will use it as a test of my innermost strength, I'm sure."

Keiichi shook his head. "My involvement in this case will stay down in the bowels." He knew, because Hagall would push for it. "Hild will either fight for Mara personally, or when deliberation time hits, send up one of her appointed staff."

"Makes sense." Skuld said then, after having zipped up the last bit of baggage. "So, Keiichi, when will your training at the offices begin?"

"I don't know." The man laughed. The question lingered in his mind before shrugging. "I never asked."

"Well, when you do, stop by the heavenly admin offices. That's where I'm posted when I'm not with Lind." Walking into the bathroom, she chucked her bags into the portal before stepping through herself. "We'll do lunch, and I'll show you the remote access information. You'll need it to confirm diplomat status with Yggdrasil and Nidhogg. Otherwise if you log in, Yggdrasil will think you're an intruder, and declare war."

Skuld slipped herself through the portal without a second thought. Her entry point was the communal baths, inside of what they called the river of transit. It was the main waterway, and travel medium for gods and goddesses such as Skuld. Looking around the central hub, she found her second entry point, the one that would take her to the law offices.

The island was a secluded one, filled with its own brands of heaven and hell, rolled into one. Skuld never grew up here. Her place was in a rather large, empty home, based in heaven. Skuld hadn't any intention to stay in that large empty house any longer, choosing instead, to live on site in the dormitory.

Holy, and unholy beings shared a complex under one roof. With only her bags, and her robot waiting for her at the door, Skuld offered him a smile.

She tossed the bags onto the floor, and took in her empty apartment. This was where she would be living with Belldandy from now on during their long years at work. It was smaller, and more comforting. Some low class attendant goddesses had seen to the preparations as ordered, but then, just like it was at home, made themselves scarce.

Skuld sighed at that, pouring herself a fresh cup of tea, and leaving her apartment. It was time to get to work, where the sounds of others tapping away at their terminals would glean insight into her continually difficult tasks.

…

It was always best to sneak out of the house whilst Megumi slept, least she throw a fit. Out of sight, out of mind, was the easiest way to leave the child behind. Still, as Keiichi bid his lover farewell, he wasn't exactly happy about leaving whilst his child remained in slumber. Regardless of how he might have felt, he returned to the hells without allowing his hesitation to get the better of him. It was better for Megumi that Koiji didn't kick up a fuss.

Belldandy stayed behind. She wanted to remain on earth for a few more days, before returning to heaven herself.

She made a habit to cook large quantities of food a few days before her departure so there was something frozen, made by her hands. She had to leave behind something in the fridge, because Urd wasn't always the best cook. She knew every goddess could simply conjure food, but, that was something Belldandy frowned upon. She wasted no time entering the kitchen to prepare as many soups, stews, and other things she knew would keep for a least a few weeks, if not longer. The smell of food roused Urd, and Megumi was not far behind.

While the angels kept the little one busy, Belldandy and Urd finally had some time to catch up on the events going on in heaven. "Father's having a rough time of it." Belldandy had reported lamely, her eyes on the pot that she tended on the stove. "Mother refuses to speak to him, of course, so Skuld and I are doing most of the communication."

"One of those kinds of fights, huh, that sounds like fun." Urd replied not entirely surprised by the news. "At this rate, someone's going to get sealed into another tea set." It went without saying that true fights among their parents were either explosive, or plagued with so much silence it was deafening. Either kind of argument lasted for weeks, sometimes months on end. Sadly enough, it also seemed to trickle down into every other aspect of family life. "Skuld still on her own up at the house?"

"We've decided to live onsite." Belldandy voiced, clipped and willing to say her true disgust of the matter at hand. "It seemed like a better alternative."

"Okay…" Urd said slowly. "So, you guys are living up in the dorms then. What's going on up top?"

Belldandy paused, the question was a complicated one. "Well, you know how our parents are." Belldandy said with a soft lilt, unhappy about the facts, but speaking truth all the same. "If someone isn't fighting with someone else, it isn't our family, now is it?" Belldandy knew their family was unconventional, and thus, teetered on a very steep slope. However, it didn't mean that she so easily turned a blind eye to it. "Naturally, Skuld is a bit more sensitive to the facts regarding our family tiffs."

"You were too, once." Urd replied knowingly. "Skuld's at that hard age."

"All the more reason that our parents should be mindful of her." Belldandy pressed, withholding a heavy sigh.

"I remember what it was like at her age." Urd shrugged then. "I remember what you were like too. Fully capable to care for herself, and yet, unable to find her place among her peers." Urd shook her head. "I imagine that Tyr and Anzasu are slinging barbs in front of her, aren't they?"

That caused Belldandy to sigh deeply. She couldn't fib, so she was left with only one option left. "Let's just say, Skuld fell back into old routines quickly." Clinging to ambiguity as if it were her only hope in the world. "She's like a duckling, and honestly, I can't say that I blame her."

"Naturally." Urd grumbled. "She's a second class goddess, and she isn't made for that line of work." It made her want to gulp her drink again, but she settled with a string of invectives under her breath.

"Urd, are you alright?" Belldandy asked.

"I'm pissed." Urd hissed, she had heard enough of this family feud. "Due to Skuld's lack in magical prowess, she really belongs in the special operations unit, or well enough alone…but the council won't see it that way."

"Father doesn't even see it that way." Belldandy said pointedly. "Even I'm not fit for a place at council. We both know I'm not the one who should be undertaking this position." Someone had to be blunt about it…someone has to say what went unspoken. She turned to Urd. "You're the first born."

"They're not going to take a filthy half goddess up at court." Urd's bitterness was like venom. "Not a second class one like myself, at any rate." She didn't want the position anyway. It was too time consuming, and difficult. "They want one like you…perfect, in every single way they desire."

"This goes against tradition. Our family has always had a hand in all of the major offices in heaven." Belldandy said worriedly. "As a Norn of the past, and first born child, you should have a seat in the council. Skuld as a Norn of the future, due to her lacking abilities in magic, should be admitted into the valkyries as Lind's subordinate and future equal as a commanding officer." None of Tyr's choices made any sense to the middle Norn. "I should be presiding over Yggdrasil, and over all of the commercialized functions of the world tree. We have several cousins in clerical positions, and they should be taking their places in advisory roles too, but, that has yet to happen."

Urd nodded, she agreed with that assessment. "Probably because our parents don't want to get their bony asses out of the way for the newer generation." Yet, there was nothing she could do from earth. Mere speculation was the only thing she could go by. "Hild isn't doing something, is she?" Urd asked on the defensive, causing Belldandy to shake her head. "Tyr then, isn't it? The bastard!"

Belldandy bit back a retort about Urd's inclination to be disrespectful of her sire, and instead just nodded. "Patriarchs expect loyalty." The first class goddess said, unwilling to voice the same distaste for Tyr's actions. "Unfortunately, our mothers are not willing to simply agree with him."

"Hell, Belldandy, we don't even agree with him." Urd told her younger sister. "That's nothing new."

Belldandy shook he head. "Hild is one thing, but, for his own wife to clash against his ideals…well, I can't say he takes any comfort in that." She went to the fridge to get some cream, using that time to simply hide what she knew was clearly showing on her face. Now was not the time for bitterness. "It really puts Skuld in a difficult position."

"I'm more worried about you." Urd said, lazing about near the counter. She gave a momentary thought to dicing the vegetables that sat awaiting their turn, but, thought better of it. "You were always the obedient one. I think Skuld will make it known when she's had enough…but you?" Urd didn't think so. "You're too accommodating."

"Well, someone has got to be the voice of reason." Belldandy replied, a tiny hint of anger lacing her voice for a moment. "It might as well be me." That hint alone made it known. Belldandy was well and truly irate.

Not many could say that they well and truly pissed off the first class goddess, as she was normally mild mannered, but Tyr had managed to do it. It was an impressive sight to behold. "Does the voice include a smack in the head?" Urd asked with a smirk. "You're seething, Bell. You might want to take a break and decompress, before you accidentally cause a storm."

"I'll do nothing of the sort." Belldandy replied sternly. "It wouldn't do. He is my father, and I will abide by his wishes." Belldandy sighed then. "It's the proper thing to do." She went about cutting the vegetables with a sense of unease. "Mind you, I find this entire situation ludicrous, not to mention completely unfounded. Honestly, the nerve of this debacle is astounding even to me!"

"So that's the way it is, huh?" Nibbling on the inside of her cheek was only aggravating her. "You're the one who carries all of the burden, simply because heaven can't take the fact that a hybrid is Tyr's first born." Urd was many things, but she wasn't a pushover. She found it difficult to sit idly by. "Do you need me to go to up and have a few words?" Urd grumbled. "I will, if I have to."

"With your temper?" Belldandy rarely scoffed, but, Urd going to heaven was not the wisest idea to be had. In fact, it was probably one of the worst. "I require you here, Urd. Megumi needs someone to look after her, and with those red markings on her forehead and cheeks, there's no way I can take her to heaven. She would be judged unfairly, and probably feared." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "I don't have anyone else I can trust, unless I send her with her father."

"She's not going with Keiichi!" Urd bit out. "But, you can stay here for a little while, and I can help to put a foot up Tyr's ass."

"You'd reply with violence, and just what would that solve?" Belldandy knew that outcome already. "If you have a good answer, I'd love to hear it. I'd do anything to hear a solution that would offer everyone solace." The facts were the facts, and she knew well, Urd wasn't going to be of any help. If anything, Urd would probably make matters more complicated.

"I doubt you can make everyone happy." Urd muttered then. "Might as well appease yourself."

"This isn't anything new, you said it first." Belldandy relented, taking a breath. She was in no mood to return to the fighting she knew awaited her…yet, there was no other option. "We've known about their convoluted spats. It's gone on ever since we were little." Belldandy finally sighed out with acceptance. "I must respect heaven's wishes. It's best for everyone involved."

"Even you?" Urd asked in disbelief.

Belldandy didn't answer that, because she knew if she had to give a voice to it, she would be forced to speak truth.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: So, I've started to do anime and gaming reviews now over at Hubpages, incase you didn't know. They're casual, and not extremely in depth. Just a way for me to pass the time. Anyway, if you happen to be interested in anime and gaming reviews, with perhaps a few other little tidbits on the side, check me out. If you have an anime or a game you want me to review, you can always pm me over there, and let me know...or just PM me here, and I'll answer you.

Over at Hubpages, I'm the same pen name as I am here, Sombereyes.

Anyway, I don't own Ah! My Goddess.

**Chapter 23**

It was like a twisting, murky bile that tickled the back of her throat. She could feel it, the utter illness that would soon plague the heavens and hells, purging them of old ways. "So this is what it comes down to?" Hild replied, her face little more than a mask of indifference. She was adept in the arts of potions, and knew well how to conjure illicit substances that most in heaven would surely covet, yet, there was no cure for this. "This malady is unheard of, but, undeniable proof is in your eyes."

"There must be something to help." Anzasu murmured quietly. "Something needs to be able to fix this, it can't be entirely incurable."

"Magic is futile." Hild said, studying Anzasu carefully. "I doubt we could seal off whatever the issue is." Odd medicines were her specialty, and this had to be kept quiet. "We can't cast a warding spell either. Barriers of any nature would probably just exacerbate this plague." If anyone else knew the nature of what was happening, panic would spread, and that wasn't good for anyone. "It isn't your angel that's afflicted, but rather it is you, yourself."

"Why not make a medicine, then?" Anzasu asked, not familiar with such the trade, but knew that Hild was quite renowned for it.

"There is no concoction, elixir, potion, antidote, or even salve that can remedy this." Hild had expected something to infect the angels and devils, but this was not something quite so simple. This was not an illness of the soul, but something else. "This my dear friend, is something far more sinister than we can imagine. The grim fact is that we are to be phased out, and, what better way to invoke extinction than incompatibility?" In Hild's thoughts, there was nothing else that could be so frightening.

"You're saying that the heavens and hells can't sustain us?" Anzasu sighed, she could feel the beginnings of the illness grasping her with chilly fingers of foreboding. She thought it to be a mere infection, until Hild bought up the problem over tea one day. "Is there any place in creation that could protect us?"

"I believe creation poisons us." Hild said carefully. "Anything that is created, must also one day cease to exist. Anything that ceases to exist leaves voids that must be filled. Voids that must be filled follow three paths. Either finding a replacement, phasing out, or changing entirely…and hence creation evolves with time." Their time was coming sooner than Hild cared to admit. "It will spread slowly until we either die, or merely disappear. I am not sure which holds true."

"If you were forced to guess?" Anzasu asked.

"I would plead uncertainty." Hild said. "I wouldn't presume to make such statements, as I have no way of knowing just how debilitating this sickness could become." There was only one thing that Hild knew for sure. "Creation will keep us around for precisely however long it needs us, and not a second more." She licked her lips, and found herself quite parched. She reached out to the tea Anzasu had offered, but found the taste quite bland. She made no indication of that, and merely let her mind toil with the truth, as it so boggled them.

"I have not told Tyr." Anzasu said then, worry etching her very being. "I doubt speaking of this would help at all."

"Tyr knows well of this outcome, as it is the selfsame outcome that so drove him to ignore Belldandy in the first place." Hild replied, her eyes darkening at bit at that. "One thing I do know, is that this illness is shared through one's doublet. Creation will be sure to purge equally, and that is the only way it can."

…

"That's just absurd! Her grades have steadily improved." Belldandy said, in a heated argument with none other than her very own father. "She was made for the combat unit. She belongs there." Belldandy said, knowing that to be the truth. "Father, please, don't force Skuld to become a goddess that she's unfit to be."

"She is my daughter." Tyr replied. "She will be anything that I decide for her to be, Belldandy. That is the way it must be." It surprised him to see Belldandy fighting so hard, struggling against his whims, and he offered her a sigh. "Skuld has potential, Belldandy." He then said placidly, in hopes to calm whatever notions that she had jumped to. "She is a goddess that embodies the future, and so, her fate is not etched in stone."

"You're right." Belldandy agreed as she nervously clenched her fists at her side. "Her future is written in sand, so you know how easy it would be for her to simply wait for the waters to wash away the transgressions in her heart." She took a breath, finding her father an intimidation to face, and to disrespect. "It's because of who she is, that I know in my heart of hearts, that she was made to follow her own path." Looking Tyr in the eyes, seeing his lack of emotion to her plea, made her feel like crying. "It's because she is the goddess of the future, that she will change her heart many times. She must have that room to grow."

Tyr remained unmoved. "It is my desire, my most profound wish, that she learn and understand the ways of this office." Tyr replied evenly. "Belldandy, I beg of you to understand my plight as her father-"

"What plight might you have?" Belldandy retorted heatedly, cutting Tyr off. "What have you suffered?" She shook her head. "You know nothing about Skuld, just, as you know so little about Urd." She was so sickened by this man, this god before her very eyes that claimed to be her sire. "You didn't raise them." She had to leave, before her tears threaten to fall. She wouldn't give him that luxury. "You didn't raise me, Urd did."

It was that he didn't fight back, that pained her worst of all. She almost prayed he would. That his fury would cast down a hammer so harsh, that her unquestionable ire would be justified. He said nothing to this, and she began to feel ill.

"Urd raises my child now. She's the mother that Skuld and I were never allowed to have, and now she offers Megumi the same thing!" Belldandy exclaimed, with a harsh shake of her head. Her voice raw with her rage. "What's so wrong about all of this, is that I want to raise my daughter. I want to be there for her every day, but I can't even do that." She turned on her heal. "You won't even afford me that much." With her head held high, she stormed out of the room, and Tyr didn't stop her. "This is so wrong, on so very many levels."

That he didn't deny the claim, was his worst sin of all.

She would not have it spoken that she would simply let him continue on with his plans. Belldandy refused, she could not amuse him. Not this time. Still, she was his daughter, and a first class goddess. She had to be civil, if nothing else. So even as she stormed through the offices with a temper that was very much inherited from her mother, many in the offices gawked. After all, what else were they to do?

Creation was moving, it was changing, and for some reason, it felt unsettling. To add further insult to injury, her mother seemed insistent to move mountains if it meant getting Tyr to listen to her plea. Belldandy could only feel pain, but her mother seemed filled with ire that the elder goddess didn't seem to repress. It also seemed quite odd that Hild also seemed to take a stand at Anzasu's side.

Belldandy took a breath at that, she knew she wanted to help...and that this was a last resort on a thinning rope, yet even so, she feared this was too far.

Hild would often see fit to use a bonfire in place of a tiny spark, as was the way of many demons...in recent days, that list seemed to include Keiichi. To was today of all days, she was quite thankful he wasn't here to witness this. Belldandy thought the current tactic was a bit extreme, even for the two women conspiring to overrule her father. Yet she had to agree, the method was going to be effective.

With every ounce of her being, she tried to help mediate what she knew could end up being a very venomous, if not dangerous encounter. "I beg of you, please consider taking Skuld under your wings."

"Tyr would be furious." Lind reported coolly from her place. "I can't deny my betters."

"And just what in the heavens am I?" Anzasu hissed.

"I mean no ill will." Lind said, holding up her hand. "However, her father denies my desire to train her." Lind reported, strictly keeping the disappointment out of her voice. "He denies my requests to become her tutor with such distaste, that I'm sure the repercussions would be dire."

"I will deny him of his very breath, if he so opposes it!" Hild had heard enough, and quite frankly, she hated valkyries. "You'll do as we say."

Lind didn't bat an eye. "I'll do as I'm ordered by my commander. I'll abide by my unit…and if someone from the heavenly council tells me to do something, you can bet my life that I shall follow the order through to the letter _and_ the intent." Her weapon at the ready, she faced Hild down, knowing that if she did start a battle, it would be her life on a silver platter. As a heavenly warrior, her life was expendable, even with the doublet.

"You play a dangerous game, valkyrie." Hild cooed, as if she were toying with the mouse with its tail caught in a trap. "You don't really want to strike me with that brutal weapon, now do you?"

"Suppose I did?" Lind growled.

"That is by far enough!" Belldandy stood between the two women. "I beg of you, stand down, Lind." Belldandy asked softly. "Keiichi would be upset, if you brought harm to Hild."

"We are family, after all." Hild smirked, crossing her arms over her ample bosom.

"Only because you've tainted in him both demonic blood and energy." The mere thought of Lind doing any sort of damage was laughable at best, but the true meaning of the words struck the warrior in a heartbeat, and the combat goddess lowered her weapon. Lind wasn't fond of that thought, but, then again, she would be damned to the hells anyway, if she ever listened to a demon such as Hild. "I have no reason to listen to you. Doing so would be such a great dishonor to my unit."

"Unspeakable, yes?" Hild only found amusement in that. "Even so, I would examine the situation from our perspective, if I were you."

Lind looked to the other goddesses in the room. "I beg you, don't follow this demon's whims."

"It isn't a whim, Lind." Belldandy said to her friend with a gentle bow. "It's because Skuld belongs with you."

See, even the goddesses agree." Hild replied coolly. "Surely you can understand your position in all of this."

"I will not turn my back on Tyr." Lind replied then. "Not unless the very safety of the heavens were at stake, and even then, I would be hard pressed."

"It is for the safety of heaven that we beg of you to listen." Anzasu replied slowly. "The elders have contracted the spoken word, a renewal, Lind. Creation sees fit to expend those who've stayed too long." She looked over to Belldandy, who hadn't been told yet. "If we are to keep heaven safe, then my daughters must take their rightful place among the peoples of creation. That means that Skuld will need to be at your side Lind."

"You're sick?" Belldandy murmured.

"We are, child." Hild nodded. "Those of us who've created stagnation have been afflicted."

"Tyr is set in his ways, because he thinks something can be done. Your father loves you so dearly, it blinds him." Anzasu told Belldandy. "It's why he forces you away from your daughter. Why he's so sure that there is a cure to be found, here within the offices…why he keeps you, Urd, and Skuld from your true places here in the heavens."

"There is no cure, only time." Hild explained darkly. "He only prolongs the inevitable. Creation will not do away with us, unless there is a god or goddess able to stand in our place." She examined the young goddess, seeing a very childlike fear in her eyes. "You must also understand that creation will also stop at nothing to see that its desires are met. As with your sickness, that once demanded a favorable reply, creation demands of us the selfsame burden."

Anzasu nodded. "It's why Keiichi was chosen to take Urd's place."

Hild gave Belldandy a meaningful glance. "It was either Urd, or someone else." She turned her back on Belldandy. "So, I allowed Urd to have it her way, and I chose someone else to take her place. It's why Keiichi is of my blood, of my very ilk. I chose him."

"It had to be so?" Belldandy shook her head. "I don't understand!" she felt short of breath, as her entire reality was caving in on itself. "Why would creation do this?" Feeling as if her very soul happened to be crumbling apart, she turned to Hild for an answer. "You told me that forcing him to be a demon would save me from myself...you never told me creation was dying out!"

"We are its masters, and its keepers." Anzasu told her confused and obviously addled daughter. "However, you must think of it like a pet, willing to bite the very hand that feeds it." She could only hug Belldandy as truths spilled from her lips that were not yet meant to come to light. "We have abused creation, letting it become covered in its own filth, and we have neglected to right our wrong doings." She let her fingers run through her child's fawn tresses with a sigh. "If it isn't Skuld who becomes part of the valkyries, it will be someone else." Anzasu said. "Creation will eventually find gods and goddesses suitable to fill our places, no matter how much we may protest."

"Since that is the truth of the matter, Lind, you should keep in mind that Tyr fears death." Hild told the combat goddess before her. "We can only do one of two things. Wait to die forever blinded by our own stupidity, or guide you younger goddesses and demons into the right paths. I choose to do the latter."

"This is complete blasphemy…" Belldandy murmured as her mother held her close. Try though she might, she simply couldn't wrap her head around the pure magnitude of this event.

…

The decision of power was one that always seemed to happen in the depth of sleep. When a child's true soul could be free entirely of her bindings and only her mind held her tethered to the realities her dreams made, she was free to make her own choice. Urd was hoping that this little child would one day see the error of her ways, and choose to be a goddesses, but, when she felt the surge of power, she knew.

She felt it, like a fire, tearing through her body.

When she went to check on Megumi, a red bubble of demonic power surrounded the resting youth. Megumi had chosen, and instead of praising the highest heights, or cursing the lowest bowels below, she merely swallowed down the emotion she felt. _So, she wants to be a demon. _Urd didn't know quite what to make of that, but a heart that had spoken wasn't to be questioned. _She's chosen black feathers and a tarnished halo. _ She knew she couldn't hate the child in front of her, her own niece.

Even Hild afforded young souls that much of a reprieve...


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Five hundred years had come and gone…it was a terrifying experience, and nightmarish for all who dared to think of it.

Time was a slow ebb, one that never seemed to end. There were a great many wars, trials, and near misses...moments when earth found itself on the brink of total destruction. The very universe seemed suffocating, as if a meager heartbeat was simply too much to ask. The race of man had nearly died out several times, but each time they faced the nearness to the end, they'd come back stronger than ever. With the colonization of several planets in full swing, Mars was not the only one to harbor human life, however this brought planetary war, and without divine intervention, all would have been utterly lost.

Change was upon them like violent waves, and everyone felt the revolutionary turning of creation. The hells rebelled from strife with their own fury, while the heavens waited with baited breath to come to some sort of unanimous conclusion. The council underwent strict reforms twice as a few of their leaders disappeared without a trace. Some who didn't disappear had no use, and fell into their own realm of lunacy. It became simple acceptance that those souls would never be reached, left to drown within their own stupor.

With such catastrophe afoot, Tyr's proclamations fell like glass around his feet, and try though he might, heaven was not going to be so willing to listen to reason. The council was less willing to unify by the day, and to make matters worse, the offices were little more than vocalized battlegrounds. As far as the heavenly council seemed to be concerned, Urd was unfit to take Tyr's place and Belldandy wanted no part of it.

In the shadows, Lind trained Skuld, in spite of Tyr's desperate wish for Lind not to do so. Thusly, they kept that little truth hidden from even Tyr himself. In the midst of the difficulty the heavens and hells faced, Belldandy and Keiichi endeavored to keep their children well away from the mounting tension…though even the household lacked the peaceful days from long ago.

They'd lost count of how many years they'd been together, and though Keiichi was a proud father, he still had yet sire a son. Strongly, he coveted one, but it was not a desire Belldandy had yet been able to grant. With three beautiful daughters, two of them demonic in nature, he was not unhappy with his lot in life…but as a demon, he could not find solace in merely daughters.

He desired a son, craved it so desperately, he enamored himself with the implication often.

Keiichi sighed dejectedly as he sat in the throne room at Hild's side. They were busy, taking requests and offerings from the public. Normally he took great joy in the praise, as it appealed to his growing ego, which, among the demons was one never to be questioned. His greatness was not to be taken lightly either, because he was starting to become everything Hild expected him to be, and more, when it truly counted. She found this befitting, as the man had always plenty of gull.

Even as a mere human, he maintained integrity, and knew little of respectful fear...as a demon, such a mindset was fortunate to have. For one such as Keiichi, who would require forthrightness to take over the throne, even as he greeted the people, his emotions were clear. He was disinterested in platitudes, and only seemed to rouse himself when a plea for help found his ears. The peoples of creation would come to respect the trait in time.

She smiled at this, as the line dwindled. The final visitor for the day was not from a demon expected to bow before the ruler of unholy lands, rather, she'd come to visit her. "Guess who!" The demon said, looking a bit shy as she peeked beyond the thick obsidian door. Curious to see if she happened to be interrupting anything, she examined the room for a long few moments.

Hild already knew, of course, as none of her usual subordinates would toy about in her presence. "I haven't a clue." Hild replied with a shrug, playing along.

"That's not fair." Stepping through, she stopped at the edge of the stairs, a grin on her face. "You have to guess, or it isn't any fun."

"Megumi, what a pleasant surprise." Hild said, standing and stepping down from her place above all who might have entered the room. She crossed the threshold of hidden traps easily, and then, hugged her granddaughter. "Did your aunt bring you down?" Hild asked, knowing it was a longshot at best.

"Aunt Urd?" Megumi made a face. "Get real."

"I suppose that would be too good to be true, wouldn't it?" Hild relented with a nod.

"She's still got a stick up her butt or something." Megumi said as glanced around the throne room. "I just don't get why she refuses to come down here. Everything's just so cool." She was fond of the opulence found within these walls, because it was so sunning, and a far cry from anything she would ever see on earth. "I mean, why wouldn't she come for tea at least?"

"That's just her way." Hild said, brushing off the question with measured ease. "Just as it is your way, my dear, to covet that which you see before you."

"I don't know, it just seems kind of strange, that's all." Megumi told the woman. "Hmm, you know, you just might have better luck if you hogtied her and brought her down yourself." Then, a dark grin appeared on her face. "Or, make dad do it…"

That thought, while highly amusing, wouldn't work. "Now wouldn't that be absolutely delightful?" Hild said then, a smirk on her face as she considered that such a plan had come from the little girl. Simple, and a bit brash, perhaps, but entirely befitting of her nature. "I'm afraid that such a brazen tactic simply wouldn't go over too well. Goddesses rarely visit little ole me."

"Well, last time one did, you tried to seal her." Megumi reminded the woman. "Mom's still upset that you tried to seal Aunt Skuld, by the way."

"Oh, is she now?" Hild shrugged, not particularly bothered. It had all been in good fun. "Well, I did warn them that I couldn't exactly guarantee her safety."

"You can't try that anymore." Keiichi said, pulling himself from his thought finally. "Belldandy told me she would seal me in the cookie jar if you try that again."

"Told you she'd be ticked off!" The girl said, sticking her tongue out at her father.

"I can't control what your grandmother does." He sighed at length. "If I could, I would have let Mara out of the ceiling fan ages ago." He pointed to the demon, who'd been stuck there since her argument in with Lind, twirling around and circles with no place to go. The talks hadn't gone well, and even after five hundred years, Mara's plea bargaining, which was little more than a mockery to most in the law offices, landed her a doubled sentencing that was still undergoing trial.

Of course, it didn't help that the heavens had gone through two total reforms, and thusly, two completely sets of jury.

"Oh, she's fine, Keiichi." Hild said, gazing up at Mara, who looked rather ill, and very dizzy. Satisfied her punishment was working, she grinned to Megumi. "So, tell me more about how angry Belldandy was." Hild said, changing the topic to one far more interesting.

"Nothing to really tell." Though Megumi didn't yet realize it, Hild was administering a test.

"It happens so rarely." Hild replied then, trying to sound innocent. "Did she yell?" There was a great deal riding on Megumi's answers, or rather, the joy she took with them.

"Mom doesn't do that." Megumi said thinking a bit. "She gets very quiet." Megumi said slowly, scowling a bit as she thought. "Sometimes mom goes off into the woods, but normally, if you have to question her mood, it means it would be better if you don't." Then, something else came to mind. "She did swear though…only once, but she did do it!"

"Oh, she was quite angry then." Hild laughed enjoying in the story. "Too bad, I would have loved to hear it."

"I hope I'll never have to hear it again." Keiichi finally said, turning to Hild. "Belldandy and I agreed, Megumi's old enough to begin formal training from a tutor, but if she's to travel down here, she needs supervision to arrive safely." He gave Megumi a hug in welcome. "Skuld is to be left alone, since Urd wouldn't dream of stepping foot in a portal to come here just for that."

"Yes, that's true, isn't it?" Hild sighed. "Such a troublesome daughter…won't even come to see her own mother, what a shame." Hild did agree though, she could put easily put off terrorizing Skuld, if she knew her granddaughter was going to come down for proper training. "I guess I'll simply have to agree, now won't I?"

"Yes, you'll have to." Keiichi nodded, more a direct statement than anything else. It was Belldandy's one stipulation, and Keiichi dared not test her on it. "But, more importantly, I've got to go sign Meg up for intermediate level potions training, and novice combat."

Hild raised an eyebrow at that. "Little Meg seemed to understand potion making, does she?"

"Urd's been teaching her." Keiichi said with a roll of his eyes. "House rule is no playing with things that can blow up, but they both manage it anyway."

"Sounds about right, a family trait, I fear." Hild replied offhandedly, suppressing a laugh. The look in Keiichi's eyes stated he had already figured that part well enough. She dismissed it entirely. "Regardless, Urd's probably the best potion tutor you could come by, besides myself, of course. How is Megumi's magical affinity?"

"You don't want to know." The child said, looking up at her grandmother with a bit of embarrassment.

"Well, you do have some, don't you?" Hild asked, now concerned in more ways than one.

"Hit and miss." Keiichi reported, however, his tone spoke of everything. Hild could tell it wasn't going well at all. "Urd says she'll handle that too, when the times comes for it." With a bit of a gulp, he shrugged. "We're still at the stage of getting a bolt to levitate, without it suddenly becoming a projectile."

"So, she has power, yet lacks control." Hild tried not to show the inward grin at the household's expense, she knew exactly where that would lead. "I can't say I'm surprised, she is of unusually strong ilk, I would say projectiles are a blessing. We can deal with that, at least." With that, she took a great joy, but also knew she had to offer Keiichi a fair warning for everyone's safety. "Tyr and Anzasu are very powerful beings within their nature, so Belldandy's bloodline is without question, much stronger than many would give her credit for."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Keiichi muttered. "Belldandy seemed pretty worried when one of the bolts crashed through a wall like an oncoming bullet."

Hild only nodded. "On the other hand, when you took in the pill I gave you, you inherited my strong bloodline as well." It would be a thorny situation indeed. "You're still growing into your powers as well, so it's hardly something you can understand." She tried to think of how to phrase it, coming up short. "To put the matter simply, Megumi's powers will easily be comparable to Urd's, if not stronger, once she's fully grown. She won't be limited to a second class license like Urd."

It only took Keiichi a moment to register the exact meaning behind that. "Crap."

That was a drastic understatement, but Hild decided to let that slide. "I'll think I'll go to the training board with you, and let them know just who exactly they've got coming in." Hild said, and then paused to think. "She's going to need more than just an average tutor. Even Urd will be ill prepared to deal with quite a bit of her training."

"You can say that again." Keiichi muttered dryly, recalling several incidents that he would have much rather not have been privy to.

"First of all, this won't do. No granddaughter of mine will be prancing around here with those clothes." She said, gesturing to the white and gold dress Megumi had on. "Let's amend this, shall we?"

"Um, okay." Megumi shrugged, while Keiichi blanched. There was no telling what Hild might do.

Flawlessly and easily, Hild amended the color of the garb. The dress changed to a gray floral pattern, the petals tinging red. For good measure, she left the gold neckline, but with a sweep of her finger, she shaped it into a short plunge. It wasn't nearly enough to show off anything, as there was nothing yet to show, but it was the trademark of the women who would grow to be dangerous beauties.

"Mom would freak if she saw this!" Megumi said, looking at herself in awe. "Wow…this is so cool…" She turned to her father. "Can I start wearing stuff like this at home?"

"It would probably be best if you didn't." He said after some thought. "Here, it shouldn't be a problem, but, when we're on earth, try to be a little conservative." It was a failing endeavor, yet he had to try.

"You're not one of heaven's own, my dear." Hild told her with a wink and a wag of her finger and she gave Keiichi a disapproving look. "Flaunt it if you have it. Plenty of goddesses do the same, including Urd." The girl was aging quite nicely. She had inherited Belldandy's beauty. Megumi was a slim figured girl, but with her hair as dark as night, she was far more gorgeous in Hild's opinion. "One final amendment." Hild said, adding a small slit in the side of the dress, and then, making it a bit more figure friendly, having it gently hug the girl's curves. "Yes, that'll do nicely."

Keiichi sighed. "Belldandy is going to kill me."

"That's the beauty of it!" Hild rejoiced. "You have a doublet, Keiichi. She can't." In truth, she knew the worst Belldandy might do was seal the poor man, but that too, would at least provide Hild with mild amusement.

"I'll be in the cookie jar for a few hundred years then." He sighed with a shake of his head. "Come on, let's go."

…

"What's got you so bothered?" Skuld asked as she entered their shared apartment up at the law offices. "Did you get into another fight with Keiichi?"

"Oh, it isn't anything like that. Keiichi and I don't particularly fight. You see, I simply seem to strongly disagree with his ideas, and he often feels the same towards me. We hash it out, but We don't actually argue." Belldandy replied slowly, her eyes focused on a wad of paperwork that had her totally and completely baffled. "Not like others might, in any case." She said, looking up at her mother as she said it.

Skuld got the implication, but it didn't comfort her. "Last time you two 'strongly disagreed' as you put it, you ended up blasting him so high into the air that he landed in a nearby city." Skuld retorted, now more than just a little worried.

"He was lucky I didn't send him to the moon, and that time wasn't an argument. It was because he was having a few issues." Belldandy said then with a sigh, she knew her little sister wouldn't really understand. "He's a demon now Skuld, sometimes his soul needs a little reminder that any other woman is simply off limits. It's merely his way, and it's my job to help him control that side of himself."

"If he's cheating on you, I'll take care of it." The youngest Norn said aggressively.

"No, Skuld!" Belldandy said, forgetting her paperwork. "You misunderstand. It isn't him, but rather the power that he releases. You know Keiichi just as well as I do. He would never dream of actually going after another woman...but..." She sighed again, and chewed on her bottom lip. "That power is now strong enough to prompt Urd to fall under his whims, and she's reacted to it a few times before, but now, she's starting to submit to it."

Anzasu chimed in with a soft laugh. "You knew you'd have to get insistent with him one day." As she thought about that a little bit, a tiny suggestion came to mind. "If diverting his sexual urge isn't working anymore, you could always plop him into the law offices for a few days. I'm sure Peorth and a few others would chase him around enough to make him regret even releasing it in the first place."

"I don't think she wants to scar Keiichi for the remainder of eternity." Skuld muttered darkly. "Last time he came in contact with Lind on a bad day, it took all of her willpower not to pin him to a nearby wall."

Felling uncomfortable about talking about such personal matters, Belldandy cleared her throat. "This has nothing to do with Keiichi, and everything to do with the heavenly council. It's this new amendment to the interspecies trial." With a shake of her head she flipped a few of the longer pages over. "This is a huge list of demands, and half of them conflict with heavenly articles."

"Someone wants to amend it?" Skuld asked, honestly surprised. "Who?"

"Hild seems to really want to push it through." Belldandy explained, felling drained. This was getting excessive. "This is the fifth time in five hundred years that she's sent in a formal complaint regarding the system."

"She sends one in every time she's allotted an appeal, which, as you know, is every one hundred years." Anzasu replied over a cup of tea. Outwardly she appeared fine, but that was her angel's doing. She was getting weaker and weaker, though only those who knew her intimately, know just how ill she was. "It's been that way ever since Urd was born."

"She still hasn't gotten the idea that no means no?" Skuld leaned over, looking at the written complaint in Belldandy's hand. "Oh wow, she doesn't give up." Along with the complaint was a petition that seemed to get longer and longer as time went on.

"At least I've trained her to go through the proper channels now. When she was younger, she would cause a ruckus by barging right into the assembly hall." Anzasu maintained appearances, as she felt she should. She was thankful she could find a reprieve easily from long hours, all she had to do was hide with her daughters in their dormitory. "She would demand to be heard, and, her negative reputation preceded her." As it stood, she was quite exhausted.

"Sounds a lot like Urd." Skuld monotone dryly.

"Like mother, like daughter. Although, Urd is far more bullheaded than Hild has ever been, that distinctly comes from Tyr's side of that family." Anzasu shrugged, knowing that both Belldandy and Skuld were much the same, in their own ways. "If I were you, Bell, I would look into her demands carefully."

"We can't very well honor them." Belldandy replied, disgusted with all of the breeches in conduct as she mulled over the paperwork. "I doubt I could very well take this into the council, they'd laugh at the mere implication."

"You should still give them consideration." Her mother told her carefully. "After all, either you or Skuld will need to take position of my key once the time comes, and I've honestly no idea if either one of you comprehend the need for what Hild implies."

"You support her decision?" Belldandy asked. "The judgment gate has been a time honored tradition, as well as a true test of the soul."

"I don't condone Hild's view of the matter." Anzasu said slowly. "However, you of all people, Belldandy, must understand the risk you bear, if you were to call that gate upon one of your own children." She took a sip of tea to calm her tremors. "I'm simply saying to think on it at great length, and understand that you may not be in the position to protect them."

"Keiichi and I passed through just fine." Belldandy replied. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Belldandy, my dearest daughter, not all in creation share your conviction." Anzasu said earnestly. "Not all would be so forthright about the gate, and some are simply unable to appeal to the gate due to their nature." She tried to smile, though she was sure it was much weaker than she desired. "The gate bespeaks its name…it is a judgmental, finicky, and convoluted thing when it so desires to be."

"What's your view on the gate, then?" Belldandy asked hesitantly, feeling apprehensive about the answer, unsure if she wanted to hear it. "Should it be done away with?"

"I wish my stance was so simple." Anzasu licked her lips. "Put it this way, I'm merely saying that I recognize Hild. That I understand that due to the gate, our family has struggled to find its balance." She wondered if Hild was correct, if the gate could truly be forsaken. "It may just be that the gate does more harm than it does good." She shrugged. "I wouldn't know, nor would I want to speak of something I myself have never endured."

"I have…" Belldandy murmured. "Is that why it must fall to my hands?"

"You have not endured." Anzasu replied. "You overcame, and that my child, is the difference."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Was it normal for a mother to cry at the thought of her child choosing such a thing?

Belldandy didn't know, but, she couldn't deny the weight it put on her heart. Deep down, she wanted nothing more than for her child to be happy. If that meant choosing the path of a demon, she would allow Megumi to do just that without reprimand…but, as her youngest started to toddle around on two small feet, she sighed at the red markings that seemed to stay in their place more often than not.

Holybell picked up the youngster, greeting the small yet happy child. _She may still be a goddess yet, master. I wouldn't worry over her._ Even still as the angel said this, she could feel the strong energy, demonic waves telling otherwise.

Belldandy nodded as she went about cooking dinner, something she still chose to do by hand. _It isn't so much that I worry, Keiichi will always watch over them, so I have nothing to fear._ Still, she knew her angel could see beyond the simple action of dicing carrots. _Are the heavens not enough for them?_

Holybell stopped smiling then, and looked at the child she held protectively in her arms. As she flew about in a gentle motion up and down to entertain her, a thought popped into the angel's head. She stopped flying a moment later, landing deftly onto her feet, in full form. _Master, do you doubt heaven so much? _Holybell asked, putting the toddler on her hip.

Belldandy shook her head. _I doubt myself, Holybell. I wonder, have I been the proper mother to my children?_ She plopped the chopped vegetables into the cooking pot, and then, took her daughter from the angel. _I've been a full time goddess, and there are times when I'm away from them for years on end. Urd's with them all the time, but I can't be here, not like I should be. Even you do not come down for a visit as often as I should send you. It's simply too much of a power drain to send you so far away._

_It was unavoidable then, just as it is unavoidable now. _Holybell told her goddess. _Our love for them is endless, and they know that. You have never been an unkind mother to your children, and Keiichi is a demon of his word. He protects them wholeheartedly. If they are to be demons, he will never turn a blind eye to them._

_That's true…because he can do what I can't._ Belldandy was a wonderful goddess, but that came with a price. She was devoted to the heavens, and all that it would entail. _He can sway the hearts of many. After all, isn't that why we chose to love him, even knowing what he is? _Belldandy held the child, hugging the toddler close to her. "Oh, Saria if only you'd change your markings. Then I could take you to heaven with me without fear."

"She'll suit her name well, either way." Urd said, coming in to get a quick snack from the pantry. "She'll change, she's too cute to be a demon." It was a touching sight to see the young child cuddling into her mother, looking as if she just might fall asleep. "Go put her down for a nap, I can keep dinner from burning."

Belldandy was actually quite tired herself, so the idea of a quick power regeneration appealed to her, and she nodded, needing the time to herself while the house was still peaceful.

It was only a few hours on earth, but it had seemed far longer before Keiichi returned with their eldest in tow. Megumi wanted to keep the dress, and even if it looked far too revealing for earth or heaven, at least for a child of her age, he allowed it. Hild was right after all, there were some goddesses who wore little to nothing, and, it wouldn't do in the demon realm at all to be conservative.

Besides, Hild was right behind him, and that alone made him keep his mouth shut. As Megumi bounded through the door to show her aunt her latest outfit, Keiichi followed the pulse of his heart. Belldandy had been upset all day, he could tell. She'd suppressed her frowning, and had even seen their child off with a smile, but now, the woman he loved was on the verge of tears. As he finally found her, he wordlessly held her close.

"Out of all the beings, why does it have to be Megumi?" Belldandy asked him, her true feelings on the matter finally spilling from her eyes. "My daughter is a demon." She buried her face in his shoulder. "What in creation have I done?"

Wisely, he said nothing. There was nothing he could say, having never felt so troubled over such a thing. Instead, he tightened his hold. Any words would be meaningless from him, but thankfully there was someone else there who could talk, and she refused to let this choice slice such a deep rift between mother and child.

Hild would never, ever, allow someone else to make that very selfsame mistake, while it was within her power to do something about it.

"You raised her with every ounce of love you had for her, Belldandy, and that is all any mother can hope to accomplish." With the queen of hell herself standing in the doorway to Saria's room, the couple parted from their embrace. "Once they choose their path entirely, you have to learn to face it…to accept that they are entirely who they've decided to be." Hild stepped forward then, gazing at the sleeping little one…her powers too, were already decidedly demonic. She would be one to choose early in her life. "This is the risk we take as parents to such offspring."

"It was a risk I wasn't truly prepared to take." Belldandy said weakly. She thought she had been, but it went against her nature as a goddess to swallow down the finality of it all. "I never assumed it would hurt so very much."

"We can love them, protect them, and even worry day and night about them." Hild thumbed over the red marks the infant had, and smiled at her. "However, the one thing you cannot do, is question why. As soon as you start placing the blame on anyone, even yourself, you form a rift that was never meant to be made. Take my advice, don't let it cut into you…chances are, if you do, you'll lose them forever."

Hearing those words made the pain in Belldandy's soul worse, and she nodded weakly. "Then, what would you suggest that I do?"

"With the strength of the goddess that you are, dry your eyes and congratulate your daughter for being welcomed among her peers as a demon from the depths of such a domain. Take pride that she is the rightful heir after her father. Lastly, take comfort that you have not somehow wronged your child. Know that this is her path, that she so chose." Hild told her. "From one mother to another, that's an order."

Before Belldandy could say anything to those heavy words, she was silenced by the child in question "Grandma, did mom say it was okay?" Megumi asked, peaking in from round the corner.

"You are under my jurisdiction. You'll do as I tell them, and that's how it is." Hild said to the child before turning to Belldandy. "However, you are the one I must ask. I can't force you to come along, though I think you might want to join us."

"Go on, Belldandy." Keiichi whispered to her. "Girls night out, you should be there."

Already riddled with guilt, Belldandy took a moment to decide. She looked over to the crib, where her youngest was resting peacefully, and then to Keiichi. "Are you sure?" She asked him.

"Of course dad's sure!" Megumi barked, coming over to her mother grabbing the woman by the hand. "Grandma's going to show us the stars. Are you coming, or not?!"

…

"Get out from under the table, Hikari." Urd groused, bored and somewhat annoyed.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do, offer her tea like mom does?" Hikari lamented, and rightfully so, there was a female demon, the ruler of the hells no less, prancing around in their house. It would make most adults fearful, and she was merely a child. "I'm don't like her, so I'm staying right here."

"No, you'll do nothing of the sort." Urd said then, taking the chance to glance under the table. "You don't need to hide, either." With a sigh, she offered a smile laced thickly in exasperation. "Hild's a pest, but she wouldn't actually hurt you."

"She's still a demon." Hikari said then, only forcing Urd to nod.

Try as she might, the second class goddess couldn't argue that logic. "That she is."

"Aren't you afraid of her?' Hikari asked, her soft voice trembling as she cuddled into her aunt.

Urd's mouth felt dry, and she took a long, hard sip, of her sake. "No Hikari, I'm not afraid of her." Urd said then, knowing her personal fear was something far more distant and personal. "She's my…" Urd sighed. "We're related, and like it or not, you're her granddaughter. You can hate her all you want, but you don't have the luxury to be afraid."

"How is she my grandma again?" Hikari asked, eyeing the hallway as if at any moment the demon is question would come walking through. That was a thought Hikari didn't relish.

"It's hard to explain." Urd groused, feeling miffed about that detail. "It's more of a self-proclaimed title than anything, but Hild likes to think of you three as her grandchildren. That's how I know she wouldn't hurt you…at least, not in the way you think." Urd didn't bother to say that abandonment was an entirely different and possible option, as she didn't think it to be prudent information for the young goddess to have.

She had other matters to tend to.

Urd wasn't at all amused to see a demon other than Keiichi, or her nieces in the house. In fact, it flat out disgusted her that. The mere implication that Hild would come around with such a wounded parent, frankly sickened her. Belldandy was already mourning the loss of a goddess that never truly had the chance to be one. Megumi had always been a little demon, always, and she simply would forever remain that way. It was in her very soul to desire the darker truths of creation.

However, talk of the stars made Urd gulp, and her desire to start a verbal warfare died in her very throat.

That all too distant memory rang in her mind, no matter how many times she tried to push it out. "This will probably be the only time I'll ever advocate that a first class goddess should fraternize with a demon like Hild." Urd told her sister, all the while, prepared to blast her mother with everything she had, if the ill-begotten ruler of hell so much as hugged her. "But, if it's just this once…you should go, trust me."

Uncertainty gripped the room with cold fingertips, but Belldandy reluctantly agreed. The three females went out into the back yard. The stars were clear as crystal, as there were no lights to dampen them. The moon seemed shy, as it glowed behind the few clouds that lingered in the sky. The air was cool, crisp, and tasted of the freshness found in only the remote areas of earth. War had not touched this place, Belldandy hoped it never would.

"Hold hands, and we'll jump." The instruction caused Belldandy to look at Hild in question, but the female demon didn't answer her. Belldandy, Megumi, and Hild joined hands, and what seemed like only a little hop, had the power to carry them into the void of space. Earth was not as lush, and there were areas of black that littered the ground. Still the planet seemed to glow with captivating beauty.

"Whoa, so cool!" Megumi said, though she held onto her grandmother when Belldandy let go of Megumi's hand.

"You can fly here." Hild had not hugged her granddaughter in return, but rather stayed still, encouraging the child to let go. "Tonight, my young apprentice, you learn that creation is grand, and this is only a small part that you see before you." When the child let go, Hild gave her a gentle push. "Go on, explore."

Megumi looked to Belldandy, who nodded her approval. "Keep in sight." She warned her child, not wishing for the girl to go too far.

"I will." Megumi chirped happily before twirling in the space that seemed to go on forever.

The two adults sat unmoving, taking in the sights with ease. "Will she and I, become like you and Urd?" Belldandy murmured. That was her greatest fear, though she had never given a voice to it before. Now the reality was all too tangible, and the possibility almost seemed like a preordained future.

"Everything happens as it should." Hild told Belldandy, as they sat among the darkness of space. "The doublet system was not made to keep each other at arm's length…we do that well enough on our own. It was made to protect families from each other, in cases such as this. It was the hope of your father, that with the system, it would prevent half demons from killing their own kin." Hild shrugged, still angry about that.

"Regardless, it is embittering, isn't it?" Belldandy said quietly.

Hild only nodded. "What he failed to understand, was that his child was incapable of harming others, because she chose to be a goddess. it isn't in Urd to be that way." She offered Belldandy a bemused chuckle at that. "I would suspect, that he thought Urd to be a little monster at first, unsure what to do with her. Anzasu was there wan Urd was born, so I knew they would share an inherent bond."

"I always kept some form of hope. I prayed I could quell Megumi's attitude, that if I could ease her, she would be a gentle person." Belldandy had seen space herself many times from behind the computer screen at the help center, but never once had she thought to bring her children to see such a sight. She had never looked upon it in person either. Now, though, she found herself taking solace in Hild, yet again in her life. "The older Megumi gets, the more brash she becomes. I fear for her, and what she could end up doing."

"Keiichi is not a violent demon by any means." Hild replied with a shrug. "Besides, she's young. She has every right to get a little moody now that her powers are in full swing. I would fully expect to her get worse before it gets better, but she will even out, eventually."

Belldandy nodded. "It was the same with Skuld." She recalled her little sister's boundless energy vividly. "She was a late bloomer though. Megumi's much younger than Skuld was, when she began her training. I'm also afraid Megumi will do more than toss a few weak bombs at people when she's upset."

"Megumi is a demon, and she will do things that make such a fact abundantly clear." Hild smiled, understanding Belldandy's worry. "However, she is still half goddess, and that does make all of the difference."

Belldandy nodded. "I suppose so." It still didn't answer all of her pressing questions, and it didn't put to rest her ultimate unease. "How does one raise a demon who's reached magical maturity?"

Hild was unsure. "Children of dual natures are more complicated, I'm afraid." Hild swallowed hard. "They're not as strongly influenced by their guiding star, but one could say that only welcomes internal conflict. That's why they seem so haphazard when they're young. Urd went through quite a difficult time of it as a young goddess. Your children, goddess or demon, will likely face the same mental disarray."

"I would think that's just a bit problematic." Belldandy replied, now even more worried than before. She could remember Urd welcoming every brand of trouble one could imagine, even as a child. Good intentions were also something Urd still lost sight of, though, she was much better than she was in her youth. "The mood swings from magical attunement aside, should I expect the usual goddess complications, or is there something else I should be concerned about?"

This was the conversation she'd wanted to have, but, having reached the crux of the issue, Hild could do no more than mentally berate herself. "I would expect all of the normal demonic tendencies, such a pathological lying, stealing, cheating, and instigating fights that turn aggressive quickly." When Hild thought about it, demonic youth were either afraid of anything and everything, like Xic, or they were little hell raisers to the extreme. Hild feared that Megumi would likely give her parents a difficult time of things. "We demons seek things that please us, and are quite indiscriminate to the ramifications. That goes for everything we do, from intimacy, to deciding what to eat for breakfast. You might need to have particular conversations with her a little earlier than you might expect."

"Is that so…" Belldandy asked, earning a nod from Hild. Her cheeks colored pink at that.

"A goddess takes about seven thousand years or so to reach an age that they're actually interested in illicit acts. Before then, the idea of romance is chastise, if at all. I doubt a goddess is even capable of thinking of such things before then. Heaven tends to lock away sexual drives until the youth reaches a capably reproductive age." Hild went on to say, trying to make her point abundantly clear. "A demon will take interest in such things at around Megumi's age when adolescence strikes hard. We don't inhibit them, that's a parent's job."

"That'll be difficult then." Belldandy nodded with a bit of a sigh. "I know nothing of normality within the demon realm, and quite frankly, neither does Keiichi." She knew that he had not yet lived long enough to know all that there was to understand. "I doubt Urd will approve of it, but, perhaps I should admit defeat. Perhaps it would be best."

"I knew you'd think that, and I can't disapprove of that enough." Hild said sternly. "How well Megumi grows up relies heavily on your strength." Hild had every intention of looking after Megumi's best interest. "I should have continued to raise Urd jointly with her father, but I felt that she would be a better goddess without my influence. I was highly mistaken. She has no idea how to control that darker side to herself, and when it runs rampant, it endangers her."

"How did you know that I was planning to suggest that Megumi move to the demon realm?" Belldandy asked her. "I was sure not even Keiichi knew."

"It seems like a good idea." Hild shrugged. "I should know, I tried to leave a half demon child in heaven, thinking they would know what to do." Still, her voice grew serious. "Your children walk a very fine line, Belldandy. If they do not learn how to properly control both holy and unholy power, they will never be safe from themselves. Now is the time in their lives when they require both of their parents the most."

"Do you truly believe that?" Belldandy asked, trying to detect any hint of lying. She found none.

"I'll leave that to you." Hild murmured. "It doesn't matter what a person believes, Belldandy. It relies entirely on what that person does."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Urd wasn't happy about the fact that Hild had wanted to take Megumi to see the stars, as it dredged up painful memories and more than just a little resentment. Urd wasn't left alone to stew for too long, however, because there was someone else, just as bothered by the events as she was. Perhaps, if she had been in a different mindset, she would have taken comfort in that, or, at least noticed something that should have been very apparent to her.

"Aunt Urd…" The voice came meekly from the second born child of Belldandy's brood.

"What's up, Hikari?" Urd asked, as she found herself bent over one of her potions, trying to see if it had fermented enough. The little girl didn't answer, and Urd looked up to see the child hiding halfway behind the door frame. "Oh no…" Urd said then, she knew that look. Trouble was never far away, when such a frown graced Hikari's face. "What happened?"

Hikari dug her foot into the floor, her short fawn hair came only to the tip of her jawline, but Urd found that it was still just enough to hide the child's eyes from view. "The demons took Meg, didn't they?" The young goddess asked worriedly.

Urd bit back a curse. "Yeah, Meg's a demon now, she choose her side." It tasted bitter in her mouth. Urd wasn't happy about it, she was pissed in fact, but she wouldn't let Meg know about it. "But you know, she still has a goddess side too." The admission being what it was, gave Urd some measure of solace, and yet, not nearly enough. "Hikari, you and I have a demon side to us too, we just choose not to do demonic things that spread misfortune."

"Meg should be a goddess." Hikari said then, cowering in her own sadness on the matter. "She doesn't want to be one, but, that's only going to promote unhappiness."

"Come here, kiddo." Urd shrugged off her lab coat and hung it up on the hanger, picking Hikari up, so that she could sit on one of the metal surfaces that didn't have anything on it. Then, like the aunt she was known for being, her own brand of corruption as it was, she pulled a plate of cookies out of thin air. "So, why do you think Meg should be a goddess?"

Hikari frowned at that. She wasn't entirely sure. "Mother doesn't like it when we do bad things." Hikari said then. "She wants us to be the goddesses she knows we can be." Then she bit her lip, and looked away again, her voice hardly there at all. "Shouting and doing all of the things that demons do, only makes bad things happen. Mom gets hurt when she sees us acting rashly. I know for a fact that she doesn't really like it."

"You could do with being just a little more violent and outspoken." Urd said, knowing this particular child was the wallflower of the group, much like Belldandy had been in her youth. Quiet and pleasant to be around, but not nearly as outgoing or forthright as some might hope for. "Not all demons are violent." Urd said then.

"Dad gets mad…" Hikari said, the child never knew that she'd inherited her shyness, or her blush, from him. Thinking of a few times she'd seen him get angry, she began to shake a little. "He casts things Mara and Xic all the time. He tries to hurt them. To control them."

"To be fair, I blast Mara all the time too when she gets in my way." Urd said then, with a shake of her head. "Your mom gets angry, just like I do. All goddesses do." Urd said with a laugh. "She just chooses to bottle it up, just like you do." She forced the little girl to look her in the eyes. Gentle pools of brown, something all of the children shared in common, found Urd's own beseeching gaze. "You and I both know, I'm not so nice."

"You are…" Hikari said then, clinging onto her aunt. "You aren't a demon….you'd never be a demon, not ever!"

"You're right." Urd agreed, she couldn't deny that. "I chose to be a goddess, so that's what I am."

"I want to be one too." Hikari whispered. "But, I don't want to make Megumi mad."

This was exactly why Urd hated the idea of any of the children choosing their future. She knew it would come to this, it was bound to happen, and it made her sigh. She wanted to cry for them, take pity on what she knew would inevitably happen, but all she could do now, was encourage the young goddess before her to stay true to herself. "You are a fine goddess, Hikari, never let anyone tell you otherwise, not even Meg."

The young goddess grew quiet then, and pulled away from the comforting hug, a question lingering, even if it wouldn't be answered until far in the future. "What will my angel look like?" The goddess asked, almost wishing that it might look like Urd's own.

"I can't say." Urd shrugged. "Elegance was blessed by many, or so I've been told. Her egg was the product of holy and unholy power, just like your egg. Each angel is the representation of her goddess, so, it's only plausible to assume she will reflect you." As if a distant thought came to mind, she shrugged. "Some angels, for example, have feathers, but some have wings made of other things. I've seen ones with colorful wings, as if they were once birds, and ones with simply a covering of skin, like a bat wing."

Hikari crinkled her nose at that. "I don't think I'd want an angel with bat wings. I'm a goddess and having bat wings would make her more of a devil, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, Elegance is devilish in her own ways, regardless of her angelic feathers." Urd digressed with a distant smirk. "The dark markings on her body, for example, are the personification of the darkness within."

Hikari nodded, but didn't say anything beyond that as she looked at Urd's back, poking at a little spot that she knew for a fact would get the angel's attention, it made a dim light protrude from Urd's back, a soft glow and little more, though elegance didn't come out to greet the calling goddess. "I've always wanted an angle like Elegance."

"Funny, but I've always envied Belldandy, because of Holybell." Urd said then. "That was before I got to learn about Elegance mind you, and we've grown closer as adults…well as close as a goddess can get to a partly devilish creature, I suppose."

"She does bad things?" Hikari wondered then, but Urd just shook her head.

"All angels are far more willing to do things that bring them a sense of fulfillment. They seek out things that which brings themselves and others great joy…devils on the other hand are like their demon masters. They do what they want, when they want to do it." It was time to see if her latest creation had fermented enough for the next phase of her concoction, and as she measured out the powder she would use, she gave the child a sideways glance. "Elegance struggles with it, because I struggle with it." She knew that Hikari would as well. "You'll see, when you have your angel."

…

Megumi, at first, was happy as a demon.

Content to train and study demonic arts, and yet, still enjoy her sisters at her side. Belldandy prayed that such a thing would last a lifetime for Megumi, but she knew just by the tiny hints she saw, that such a thing was impossible. Megumi's demonic outlook was something she began to grab hold of tightly, unwilling to let go of it, even if she also didn't understand all of the implications of a demonic life.

It soon became part of her entire world in a big way. Her training consumed her time, and Hild came to earth more often as a direct result. Megumi strongly relied on her father's influence, and her desire for wrongdoing was a strong one. She was not an inherently evil demon, not really. Even so, her once soft eyes of brown had been filled with grim satisfaction whenever she went against her mother's wishes.

Megumi was growing a taste for spite, and anger pounded through her veins.

It was not an unexpected outcome, but it was one that the household had feared might happen. To make matters worse, Hikari had finally decided to begin her training as a goddess, and although all of the heavens rejoiced in such a fact, and the demons remained indifferent to it, the household waited with baited breath. Megumi didn't take the news well, and, as Hild had once told Keiichi long ago, demons gained their power through loss…

To say that Megumi felt betrayed was an understatement, and her growth spiked as the end result. The only problem was, Megumi was not yet ready to have such power flow into her very being. "Are you stupid! That's insane, you should never accept a goddess's training. It'll make you weak."

"Who asked you?" Hikari replied, after having told her sister of her choice.

"You're making a huge mistake." Meg growled, her fist clenching as the marks on her face began to glow. "Why the hell would you want to be like them?" She hissed, though she hadn't been very particular in just who she was referring too. "Goddess don't understand the world, they're too caught up in crap that they don't understand. They're blind, Hikari."

"No weaker than a demon who hates everything and everyone!" Hikari finally shouted, a rarity, unless she was in a dispute with Megumi. "Look at you, do you really think you're so strong right now?"

The damn broke, and Megumi lost control. In a fit of pure rage, pain within the depths of her soul, she's flung the first blast of magic, and it hit head on. "See what I mean?!" she hollered. "Worthless!" It hurt to see her own sister consumed in the level one elemental fire that left slight burns. "Don't you understand what you're doing?" Yet it was the only thing she could do.

Belldandy was the first to coming running, having been near the tea room at the time. With severity in her eyes, she forced herself to stay calm, although she was quite unhappy. "Megumi!" The sharpness of her raised voice bright her daughter to pause. "You absolutely cannot become argumentative with your sisters, Megumi." Belldandy told her, a harsh edge to her voice that wasn't normally there. "You're strong, and you must be careful. Hikari isn't like you."

"Yeah, no duh." Meg replied in a heated whisper. In truth, she wanted to cry, but she was just too angry, too prideful to do that. "She's nothing like me. Just look at her face."

"That's isn't what I mean." Belldandy sighed. Hikari was alright, merely sleeping, as most young goddesses did when struck with a spell they couldn't deflect. It was merely a weak elemental spell, without any true guidance behind it, and yet even so, there was a horror in that. An understanding of just where it had come from, of who had cast it. "She has not awakened her powers fully, and you can gravely hurt her."

"She doesn't look gravely hurt to me." Megumi replied, not giving an inch, nor backing down.

"If you use your powers without considering that she can't use any sort of shield, you will end up causing your sister undue amounts of damage." Belldandy wouldn't relent either. "Damage Megumi, that may not be able to be repaired." Belldandy pressed sternly. "Do you understand? You cannot expect them to stand as your equal in combat. You are their senior, you should be protecting them." She admonished.

"Hikari's just a stupid goddess anyway." Megumi crossed her arms, leaning onto the wall nearby. "She won't ever be able to use her power at this rate. She'll be as worthless as they come."

Megumi was trying to mask her own pain, and Belldandy didn't like that. "Your aunt, Skuld, isn't magically inclined either, and she's a fine goddess. We do our part, just as you do yours." Belldandy told her pointedly. "For some, powers come early, but that's not true for everyone." Belldandy sighed, seeing the bruise on Megumi's knee. Her daughters were nothing if not rough when it came to their debates, and Hikari was not without fault of her own, even if she didn't have powers. She had a knack for explosives, just like her aunt. "Here's let's fix that knee of yours, shall we?"

"No, I don't need a goddess's help." Megumi backed away from her mother. "It's Hikari's fault. I lost control of my powers in the first place because of her!" Megumi shouted. "If she would just be a demon, we wouldn't have to be enemies. If she wants to be on opposing sides, fine then, but I won't go easy on her! I can't!"

"Meg…that's enough." Keiichi's voice was quiet, but dangerous. "You never speak to your mother like that." He grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. "You don't have to be enemies with anyone. You should know that."

"Yes we do!" Megumi told him. "It doesn't matter that we're sisters. Hikari and I…" She pulled her hand from his grip. "We were always together until that happened." Megumi pointed to the heavenly colorations on her sister's face. "She chose to be a goddess, over being a demon…she doesn't give a shit about us." Megumi spat, tears spilling from her eyes. "So why should I care about her?"

A loud slap cut through the room, but it was not from the demon male before her. It wasn't even from Belldandy, who sat near Hikari's prone form, awestruck.

As Megumi's breath came back to her, she sat up, gazing at the most fearsome form she'd ever seen. "Pathetic." Hild growled, her eyes a deadly glint. "To think I've taken such a whelp under my blackened wing. You've no right to stand to your betters and sling such distasteful barbs, nor to turn against your own blood. It begs the question if I should do the same to you…" The hiss was outright deadly.

"Stop…" Belldandy staid standing from her place, embracing her shaking daughter. "That's enough, Hild." She held Megumi close, ready to face Hild in the event that she just might have to go for blows, but Keiichi's stance seemed to tell her otherwise. He wasn't on the defensive, and Koiji wasn't out for blood. He was however, eyeing Hild in careful study, as if such a thing could change in an instant.

"I am the ruler of demons, and that is what Megumi is at her core. Although, perhaps I should speak of her as mere filth." Hild's words fell heavily on the room. "Even I do not hate all goddesses. I would never harm my own blood the way Megumi unquestionably seeks to do so." Hild turned to Keiichi. "Be thankful I'm feeling merciful. However, at this rate, she is unfit to be a demon of even the lowest caliber."

Urd had not trifled in the dispute, even though she had been well aware of it. She wisely kept the tiny Saria well away from the angry visitor, having to put faith in Belldandy and Keiichi. She couldn't be in two places at once and expect to challenge Hild, but her youngest needed her. Still, when Hild was about to leave, Urd stormed after the woman that had had cast the stone. "That's it, going back to old ways?" Urd asked her. "You know better than that..."

"Urd, do not misunderstand me." Hild replied, her voice tinged in rage.

"Oh, don't worry, I understand perfectly." Urd crossed her arms, taking a breath to steady herself. "You'll just walk right out and you'll turn your back on her. You won't even spare that girl a second glance to see her face." Urd told her mother pointy. "You're good at that, Hild."

"Demons covet that which they do not have. Megumi will hunger for sister to join her." Hild couldn't feed that lust for control. She couldn't, in her right of mind, continue to teach such a student. "She's a poisonous demon right now." Hild said with a grave assurance. "To continue to train her, would result in problems later." Hild turned to face her daughter. "You've only yourself to blame…she's learned to hate from you, Urd."

"I would never teach my niece such a thing." Urd shot back, as the sky grew dark around them.

"You have." Hild hissed darkly. "You have finally done it! You've warped her…distorted her impression of what it means to be a goddess and a demon." Hild grinned, a dark, evil grin. "You've let your pride engulf you, and Megumi sees that…she sees, and she understand."

"What, that you're a total bitch?" Urd shot back. "You made sure to prove that just now."

There was no point to shout, so Hild merely shook her head, sucking at her teeth and biting back a retort. "She's not stupid, Urd." Urd finally managed to say. "She knows you deny me, because I am a demon. She knows that she herself, chose to be a demon. Do the math kiddo." Urd stayed quiet, but Hild continued. "Why shouldn't she deny her mother?" Hild asked Urd. "When you deny a demon as a parent, why should she accept a goddess?"

"It's different, damn you!" Urd murmured quietly. "You walked out on me. Belldandy has never walked out on her kids...but you're about to screw up with meg."

Hild struggled with that, wondering why Urd was fighting her choice so hard. "She knows not what she does, and you can't coddle her along, Urd. You'll only do more damage to her later, and if you truly care for her at all, you'll see my heavy handedness for what it is." Hild said then, opening a portal to leave. "Let my fury strike fear into her, let my wrath be known to her. That is the only way she will learn."

"How the hell do you know?" Urd spat.

"She's a demon, Urddy." Hild said simply. "She'll fight fire with fire...surely you can understand that."

…

It wasn't the first time Urd was forced to take a good, hard look at her life...

However, it was the first time she questioned her mother's words as factual. Hild could infuriate her at the best of times, but, this was different. Her mother delighted in truth, and in casting harm to those who suspected it the least. Urd had let her guard down, perhaps too much. Yet, perhaps it had not been nearly enough.

In fairness, Urd had expected something like this sooner…much, much sooner.

Hild was not unlike Megumi, they were both vicious demons, however Urd had to admit, Hild had more foresight. More control over her ideals, her power, and her whims. Her fury was not haphazard, nor childlike. It had a place in creation, and, though Urd never welcomed it, she knew that her mother was a sight to behold. The fact she could unify many, and keep a bunch of degenerates from starting wars on principle, spoke of just how well respected her mother really was.

Despite her hatred of Hild, she had to respect her as an individual.

"On the roof again, Urd?" Skuld said, having come for a visit. When her oldest sister merely nodded, Skuld sighed. "Big sis told me what happened."

"Yeah, well…welcome to life on earth." Urd muttered. "I knew they should have been forced into being goddesses from the start."

"Why not demons?" Skuld asked, sitting down beside Urd.

"No one should be a demon." Urd replied. "It's unhealthy to have that kind of malice."

"Odds are, that even if they all were demons, it would be the same as if they were all goddess." Skuld said, having toyed around with the math in her head. "My job keeps me busy, so, I don't really know them like you do…but…" Skuld, older and wiser than she used to be, had a better and complex understanding of demons, having to work alongside them in the law offices. "If Meg were a goddess, she'd be a lot like you…always so angry all the time anyway."

"She doesn't fit in anyplace." Urd agreed with a shake of her head. "Being a demon will turn her into something she should never be, and as a goddess, she'll end up resenting everything anyway."

"Urd, you've been in a better mindset ever since you started living here on earth." Skuld said then, a distant thought in her mind. "You even got to be with your angel again, because earth helped you to see that it was okay. To have that dual nature at war in side of you, was something this place helped you to accept." Skuld didn't know if Megumi could find the same solace, but she hoped so. "Maybe Megumi doesn't belong in heaven or hell."

"It all remains to be seen." Urd said with a sigh. "That's what bothers me."

"Lind once told me, you have to want to fight…that you have to desire to actually do damage, because like it or not, that's what those in special operations do." Skuld smiled a bit bitterly at that. "She always says, in that way, we're exactly like the demons we fight against. At first I didn't believe her, but then one day, I got into a fight in the training yard." She swallowed hard. "It reminded me about back in heaven…about how you and I used to fight, and how I wanted so badly to win when it came to you."

"It's not unlike them." Urd replied, she'd already noticed that too. "Megumi's just too strong."

"No, we're just too weak." Skuld said then, fully believing Lind's words as law now. "We have to get stronger, that's the only way any of us can help them."

"Magically Skuld, I'm right up there with some of the best." Urd said then. "Being stronger won't help."

"Who said I was talking about magic?" Skuld asked her sister. "Stop looking at all the little things, and more at the big picture. We're strong...but maybe we're not the right kind of it."


End file.
